Split Ends
by brucas025
Summary: Brooke Davis was many things... wild, untamed, and seductive. Now, she's also expelled and living back in Tree Hill, NC with her basketball-loving brother. What happens when Nathan's arch rival ends up being Brooke's latest toy? BL, BN, BR
1. Push

"So, Miss Davis. Do you have anything to say for yourself?"

She tapped her finger on her pursed lips in false concentration. "Nope, not really," she smirked after a few moments. 

The man sighed in exasperation from across the dark wood table. It reflected the entire room onto its surface with its perfectly waxed sheen. Some would say it was professional, but it made her want to throw up. 

His head glistened in a thin layer of sweat as he contemplated what to do next. Truth was, he had tried everything. The entire school administration had tried everything. It was as if each punishment pulled the trigger for her next wild act. 

"I don't know what to do with you anymore, Miss Davis," he mused aloud. "We've given you detention. We've detained you from vacations. We've had your mother and father come in for an intervention. Tell me, what should I do next?"

"Start by calling me _Brooke_," she stated with an overly plastic smile. "And I'm sorry Mr. Burns, but some girls are just impossible to be tamed."

She smirked again and tossed her hair over her shoulders. This was boring. She was bored. How many times were they going to bring her into this overly suffocating, overly organized room and give her the same damn lecture? This was the third time this month, and she was sick of it. Her parents were paying thousands per year for this boarding school, and there was nothing they could do about her behavior if they wanted to keep receiving that cold hard cash. End of story.

"I wish I could give you another detention, _Miss Davis_, I really do. But the school board doesn't think that it's doing anything to teach you a lesson."

She shrugged. "Maybe I don't need to be taught a 'lesson.' Maybe you guys have to learn to _live_ a little."

"I'm sorry Miss. Davis. I like you, I really do. But your behavior has become unacceptable. You have been here th--…"

"Three times this month. Ten times this year, and, I quote, '_It's only November!' _I _know_ the statistics." She rolled her eyes.

"Exactly. And the school board has gone over your records. You are failing every class with the exception of Spanish. And that was because you were giving the teacher _lapdances_ on the side."

She suppressed a laugh. 

"So, what's the punishment this time?" she said, gaining her composure. She folded her hands neatly on the desk in front of her, trying to act as studious as possible. 

"I'm sorry, but you will be going home as soon as possible."

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The air was crisp, just the way she liked it. From the looks of it, it could've been a summer day with how bright the sun shone, but once you got a feel of the air, you knew fall was here. Multicolored leaves flew through the air with each gust of wind, each finding its place on the lush green grounds. She pushed her sunglasses up onto her head and smiled to herself.

Truth was, she wasn't too upset. She couldn't leave for another day or so, so that just meant skipping class, drinking, and of course, lying behind the stables with CJ in their favorite spot. They'd make hot chocolate and spike it with rum and sit there for hours just kissing. _Well, maybe more than _just _kissing_, she thought to herself with a seductive smirk.

Yes, it would be a nice way to leave.

She walked across the campus toward the place she had called home since she was in seventh grade. Truthfully, she couldn't believe she had lasted until sophomore year. Her stunts last year _alone_ were definitely enough to kick her out, but as her dad always said, _the power of money is endless._

She walked into the common room and down the long hallway of seemingly identical rooms. Her room was toward the end, but she liked it like that. People could sneak in her window, she could sneak out of it, and none of the security guards who sat in the common room all night would ever hear. 

"So, I heard the news," Chelsea said as Brooke entered the room. 

"What news?" Brooke smiled sneakily.

"Oh shutup! The whole school knows! I can't believe they kicked you out! They never kick _anyone_ out!"

"First time for everything," she responded nonchalantly as she sat down on her bed. She would definitely not miss that bed and the chiropractic bills it would probably cost her in the future.

"Are your parents pissed?" Chelsea pried.

"Haven't spoken to them," she shrugged.

"Are _you_ pissed?"

She thought for a minute. "Na, not really. I'm gonna miss you though, Chel."

"I'm gonna miss you too!" Chelsea said, tears beginning to collect in her blue eyes. The emotion hitting her at once, she lunged forward and embraced Brooke. 

Chelsea and Brooke had been friends since Brooke's first year at East Coast Prep. They had shared a dorm room that year and had been roommates ever since. For the most part, the two girls were extremely different. Chelsea was petit and lacked curves; Brooke was tall and curvaceous. Chelsea was smart; Brooke didn't give a shit about grades. But they shared one thing: their love of boys. Chelsea always covered for Brooke when she snuck out to see CJ by the stables, and Brooke covered for Chelsea when she would go fool around with the boy-of-the-week. 

Chelsea had a way of always looking like a businesswoman. Even now, in her black peacoat and dark jeans, she looked as if she was going to the office for a meeting.

"How long do you have?" Chelsea inquired once she and Brooke broke from their hug.

"Not sure yet. They're gonna call my parents and let me know when they come get me. So basically, I'll be here until summer vacation," she teased.

Her parents had sent her here because they didn't have time for her. They lived their life by the "keep up appearances" rulebook, so rather than leave Brooke to fend for herself with nothing but a few maids and a few limitless credit cards, they sent her to the most expensive boarding school they could find. That, and the fact that at the ripe ol' age of twelve, Brooke was becoming quite the troublemaker, had landed her here.

How she wished she could see their faces when they received the call that she had not only gotten caught smoking a blunt in the headmasters' office past curfew, but that she had _also_ been naked. With CJ. Oh, and he was naked too. 

But since it was his first offense _ever_, they excused him with just a warning and a few detentions. Of course, they had blamed Brooke for corrupting him, but who the fuck cared? Corruption was an art she had mastered and no one seemed to mind the corruption she had imposed on them. _Well_, everyone except the administration of East Coast Prep.

"Okay, I have to go meet Chad for a little," Chelsea stated, opening her peacoat to reveal a mere leopard bra. Brooke laughed at the sight, although it was not unusual. She was a closet whore, bottom line. "If anyone asks…"

"You're at the gym, I know." Brooke smiled at her friend.

"Love you B."

"Love you C."

With that, Chelsea dashed out the door, blowing Brooke a kiss from the hallway. 

Brooke reached into her pocket and pulled out her cell phone. She punched CJ's number in and waited for his answer.

"Hey," he answered in his deep voice. The voice that gave her chills. 

Maybe there was _one_ thing she'd miss about this place.

"I got kicked out," she said running a solitary hand through her chocolate locks. 

"I heard. I'm sorry."

"Don't be," she said, letting a raspy laugh out.

"Do you wanna talk?"

"Not really," she breathed.

"Do you wanna see me?"

"Per se," she said, a flirtatious smile playing on her face.

"Elaborate…" She could hear his smile on the other side of the line.

"I wanna fuck you, to be completely blunt." She smirked to herself.

"Stables?"

"Be there in five."

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She ran her hands over his shaved head. He looked like he belonged in the army with this haircut, but it suited him. His green eyes shone against his olive skin. They were freckled with golden flakes.

"This sucks," he breathed as they sat with their backs against the beat up red barn.

"Whatever," she replied. She took a sip of her hot chocolate thermos, courtesy of CJ. The warm liquid coated her throat and she tasted the tint of rum in it. She leaned her head onto his shoulder and closed her eyes.

"We'll see each other, right?" he asked suddenly.

"Maybe. You can come visit whenever, you know that."

"I'll try," he promised.

"I'll try to visit you, too. During vacations, and stuff. Or maybe I'll sneak onto campus," she giggled.

Her cell phone vibrated softly in her pocket. She pulled it out and sat up.

"Hello?" she answered.

"Brooke, you're leaving _now_. Your brother's here to pick you up," Chelsea's voice squeaked.

"What?" she said, her jaw dropping. 

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"Nathan," Brooke breathed. She was out of breath from running from the stables to her dorm room. 

"Hi Brookie," he smiled and embraced her in one of his signature bear hugs.

"I can't believe you're here!" she said, smiling against his chest. 

Chelsea faked a cough in the background.

"Nathan, this is my roommate, Chelsea," she said introducing the two. 

"Nice to meet you," Chelsea smiled.

"You too," Nathan replied. He turned his attention back to Brooke. "I've been here for like, an hour. So I packed your clothing into bags we can take home now, and the rest is gonna get shipped home. I'm gonna go get the car and pull it up closer so we can load everything in easily. I missed you, lil' sister," he said, hugging her once again.

"I missed you too, Natie."

Once he was out of sight, Brooke began gathering other little things together to put into her purse. Lipgloss. Mascara. A picture of her and CJ. A picture of her and Chelsea. 

"Hey, Brooke. Why didn't you mention you had a brother?" Chelsea asked innocently.

Brooke shrugged. "It never came up."

She threw a few more things into her bag. Chelsea watched her sadly as she folded up her blanket and piled pillows atop of them.

"Well," she said once everything was in its place. "I guess this is goodbye."

She watched as a single tear ran down Chelsea's cheek. 

"Don't do it. Don't cry. I don't want to cry, Chel," Brooke pleaded, now wiping at her own tearing eye. 

The two hugged for a few moments.

"Hoes over bros?" Brooke said, as she pulled away from the hug.

"Chicks over dicks," Chelsea said. They hugged once again.

"I need to go say bye to CJ. I love you Chel. December break starts soon. You'll come stay with me for a little while."

"Definitely," Chelsea said, nodding rapidly. She wiped a few more tears away.

Brooke rolled out a small piece of luggage. As she reached the doorway, she turned around. "Love you Chel."

"Love you too," she squeaked.

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CJ sat on a bench at the edge of the campus. His head was bent, and Brooke wasn't sure if he could see her.

"Hey," she said, breaking him from his thoughts.

He stood up and placed a big hand on each of her cheeks. "I thought you left without saying goodbye."

"Never."

He kissed her softly, as if it was the first time they were kissing.

She pulled back. "I gotta go, Ceej. Call me."

And with that, Brooke Davis was gone.

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"I can't believe they made you come get me so soon," she said from the passenger seat.

"They're pissed, Brookie." 

"Understandable. But this was inevitable. I can't stay in one place for that long, you know that. They know that too!"

"You need to get your act together," he said sternly.

"_Blah-blah-blah,_" she mocked. "Enough about me. Tell me about _you_!"

"What do you wanna know?"

"How's basketball?"

"Great, besides this jackass who's trying to steal my position on the team."

"Do I know him?" she smirked.

"Do you know him as in have you slept with him on one of your trips home? Probably not."

She giggled. Although she liked CJ, that didn't mean she was a changed person. She still had needs. And these needs happened to be fulfilled on random weekends home with random boys. As she told Mr. Burns, some girls are just _impossible to be tamed._

"How's he trying to steal your spot?"

"Well, he never played basketball… until this year. Now, he gets bumped up to varsity with me, and we're both the best players on the team. Of course, I'm better. But Whitey favors him because… well, I don't know! He's a sneaky fuck who's a jackass to everyone except Whitey. He must be blowing him or something on the side," Nathan mused, a smile playing on his face.

He ran his hands through his dark hair. 

"What's his name?"

"Lucas Scott."

"Don't worry. You'll always be the best player on the team."

"I have no choice but to be the best unless I want my ass beaten by dad and I don't want to get into Duke."

She rolled her eyes. She wasn't sure how Nathan was holding up under the conditions. Their father was psychotic about appearances and basketball, and their mother was a closet alcoholic. In public, they were picture perfection. But Brooke wasn't sure how long she could stand the behind-closed-doors version of her family.

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The grass was still the same green she remembered. The door was still red, sticking out like a sore thumb against the otherwise white house. The only difference was a dark green dumpster outside.

"What's that for?" she asked as they stepped out of the car.

"They're redoing the kitchen."

"Didn't we just get it redone last year?"

"Yup. Anything to spend money," Nathan said with a roll of his eyes.

They walked toward the red door, each holding a piece of overstuffed luggage. Nathan dropped one bag to unlock the door. 

"Where are mom and dad?" she said looking around at the completely vacant house.

"Mom's gonna be gone for two weeks… The newest charity program. Dad'll be home in a few days. Some business thing. AKA, he took Jenny, his secretary, to the beach house, for a little vacation," he said in disgust.

They made their way up the winding stairs towards her room. They dropped the bags onto the floor sloppily. Nothing about the room had changed. It was still plain and did not reflect her at all. Not that she was home to ever make the room more… her.

"Give me your keys, Nate?" she asked.

"Why?"

"I'm going out for a little."

He tossed her the keys and she planted a quick kiss on his cheek. "Thanks, you're the best."

She walked down the hallway and down the stairs hurriedly. She didn't know where she was going, but she was already feeling suffocated by the town. Maybe she'd grab some ice cream. Or a strong drink.

Yeah, a strong drink was _definitely _what she needed right now.

She got into the car and headed in the direction of a bar she knew on the outskirts of Tree Hill. It was the only place she knew she'd never see any of her future peers. A twenty minute drive, and she could be away from the people she was dreading meeting.

She knew people in Tree Hill talked about her. The few times she was a home a year, she was out with her friend, Rachel Gatina, drinking, smoking and having sex with the first cute guy she saw. She knew girls resented her for sleeping with their crushes _and_ their boyfriends. She knew boys questioned Nathan about when the next time his sister would be home. She knew Nathan had punched a handful of guys due to them making comments about his, "smoking hot sister" who they'd like to "fuck her until she couldn't remember her own name."

A small town like this needed someone to be infatuated with. The drama within itself doesn't always sustain the people. They itch to know more, and Brooke was their _more_.

She arrived at the bar easily, hitting no traffic. The sun hung sadly in the sky leaving a purply gray sky. It had been a long ride home from school, and she was wiped out. But she needed a drink desperately.

She walked into the hazy bar. "Vodka on the rocks," she requested from the older bartender.

He handed her a glass and she quickly drained it. "One more," she asked. Within moments, her glass was refilled. And within moments, it was empty again.

She spotted a guy who looked her age down the bar. So, being Brooke Davis, she found herself slipping into the seat next to him. He had messy blonde hair and toned arms that peeked out from his plain white t-shirt.

"Don't you love bars at this time?" she mused, hoping he'd join in to her conversation.

"No," he answered bluntly, keeping his eyes focused on the drink in his hand. He sloshed around its contents mindlessly.

"I do. No one's ever at a bar this time, unless they _need_ to get drunk in order to forget something terrible."

He looked at her, finally revealing his piercing blue eyes. "What's_ your_ tragedy?" he sneered. The brunette was beautiful from what he could tell in the dark atmosphere. 

She stared at him for a moment. "Do you play pool?" she asked, changing the subject.

"Yeah, why?"

"Let's play," she said before standing up and walking toward the back. He had been here before. He knew perfectly well that there were two pool tables and a dart board set up in the back. But he had never actually played here.

He contemplated for a moment before getting up and following her. Something about her intrigued him, but he couldn't place what it was. 

"What do I get if I win?" he asked once she had racked the balls. Although he tried to resist staring, the way her body looked as she leaned over the edge of the table to set up the triangle was mesmerizing. 

"I'll tell you my name," she smirked. "What do I get?"

"Don't get your hopes up."

"Ah, a determined one. I like it. I'll break."

She hit the solid white ball into the perfect array of multicolored. Immediately, three striped balls found their ways into three different pockets.

His face was shocked, to say the least. Maybe it was because he had become accustomed to cookie-cutter girls who were all identical to each other with their forced stupidity and blonde hair. Or maybe it was because he had underestimated the mysterious brunette.

"As I was saying, what do I get if I win?"


	2. Lies and Loyalty

**Yes – I am reposting this story. But I've also changed a few things in it because I finally realized where I wanna go with it. It was on hiatus for such a long time that I figured it made more sense to just repost it with the editing than to keep up the old one. Plus, I like this title better. Please review for faster updates! I have 7 chapters already written!**

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"Now, let me teach you something about pool," she started as she leaned her slender body, pool cue in hand, over the green felt table. She eyed the black ball before her, aiming the wooden cue at it. She closed one eye to make sure she'd be hitting her target effortlessly. "When there are no other balls for me to hit besides the black shiny one with the number _eight_ on it," she smirked, "that's when you're about to watch me win."

It had been a half an hour and Brooke had been dominating the game, to say the least. While the mystery blue-eyed boy was stuck with three more brightly colored balls, she was left with the single 8-ball. 

He rolled his eyes at the cocky girl. Who was she? She looked vaguely familiar, but he'd definitely never seen her. She had a confidence about her that pissed him off, but at the same time, intrigued him. Throughout the game, her overly confident remarks triggered flirtatious banter between the two, and at times, they even pushed him far enough as to contemplate leaving. But then, just as he'd turn to walk away, she'd giggle and he was drawn back into her antics instantaneously.

"Watch and learn," she said with a seductive smile.

He watched as her lean arms effortlessly pushed the cue, hitting the black ball into the awaiting pocket. She stood up straight and leaned her back up against the table, crossing one leg over the other. With a sly smile she asked the question that was a typical one for her when it came to pool.

"Now, did you come up with a good prize for me?" she smirked. She hoped it was a kiss, or maybe an invitation to his house, because he was _fine_ and she was officially horny. 

"You pick," he said inching toward her slowly. He tried to stay calm, but the girl before him had him infatuated. He couldn't believe that he had lost a game of pool for the first time… especially since he lost to a _girl_.

"Anything I want?" she said, eyeing him skeptically with a small playful smile.

"Anything you want."

"You _sure _about that?" she said still staring at him intently.

"Positive."

She tapped her finger against her pouted lips and he immediately knew what prize _he_ would've picked. Her plump lips were screaming his name and his body couldn't help but move closer to her, as if by a magnetic attraction. He hoped that she would read his mind.

"I want two things," she announced after a few contemplative moments.

"Name your price."

"First, a kiss," she said, a small smile playing on her soft lips. "And not the small peck on the lips that you give a girl that you don't really want to kiss. I want a _real _kiss. We both know that I am _certainly _not a girl that you don't wanna kiss."

"You're that confident?" he asked slyly. 

"When you look like me, you don't have a choice," she stated with a sexy smile.

"A _real _kiss it is, then. What's the next part?"

"After that, we get a drink and talk for a little."

"Deal," he said as he moved forward, removing the few inches of space that was left between them. He stood in front of her now, her body arched against the dark wood of the pool table, his body grazing hers slightly. He rested his hand next to her body on the edge of the table. He let his lips graze hers as a tease. She smiled as he ran his hand up her right arm slowly, sending a shiver down her spine. He moved in and kissed her lightly at first, and this elicited another small smile from her. 

"That better not be a real kiss," she murmured, sending her hot breath across his mouth. 

He shook his head, not wanting to ruin the moment with more words. He placed his hand on her neck and pulled her in for a more passionate kiss. Her tongue eagerly fought for entrance into his mouth, but he wouldn't let her get that far. He pulled back from the kiss and left small, lazy kisses along her neck. She kept her eyes closed, her head cocked back, hoping he would move his lips back onto hers.

And he did, fixing another small kiss upon the red-tinted flesh.

He pulled back. If there were two things he'd become a master of in high school, they were basketball and kissing. When girls were throwing themselves at you left and right, and you were gladly taking them day and night, you had no choice but to learn what a girl likes. 

Her eyes fluttered open, not wanting the kiss to be over.

"So, was that up to par?" he asked with a small sly smile. He knew it was, but he wanted to hear her say it.

"It was okay," she said with a nonchalant shrug, regaining her composure and her sarcasm. She smiled. "Now, let's go get that drink, Mystery Boy."

They began walking toward the bar together, Lucas a little unsure of why she wouldn't admit that the kiss was good. Maybe it really wasn't. Maybe it was his _own _cockiness that led him to believe that he was a great kisser.

"You never told me your name," he commented as they eased themselves into two barstools.

"That was the prize if _you_ won," she smirked. She ordered herself a drink that he had never heard of. He ordered himself a beer.

"Don't you even want to know _my_ name?" he asked with confusion drenching his face.

"Not really," she shrugged. The drinks had been served to them and she was toying with the small toothpick of olives she had requested with hers. "Names don't matter. We'll never see each other again, so why spoil this by getting personal?"

"I don't know," he said thinking over the philosophy. Maybe she was right. Maybe part of the fun of this whole night was the mysteriousness of it.

"How old are you?" she asked, propping her chin up on her idle palm.

"21," he lied. "You?"

"20." She raised a finger to her lips and whispered, "don't tell."

"Your secret's safe with me."

They sat in silence for a few more moments before Brooke decided to speak again.

"I'm not really 20," she giggled. The warm sensation of the drink was coursing through her veins now, making her a little more honest.

"I'm not really 21," he said, joining into her laughter. She leaned into him instinctively and planted another kiss on his lips. He tasted like beer, and once she pulled back, she licked her lips and smiled.

"Budweiser?"

"I don't know actually," he said with a skeptical face. "It's whatever's on draft."

She was crazy, thinking she could tell what brand of beer he had by the lingering taste on his own lips. She was intriguing, yes, but just because she was good at pool didn't mean she had other random talents, like labeling beer with just a mere lick of its flavor. 

"Hey, bartender," she said waving him over. The middle-aged man joined the two.

"What can I get you?" he asked in his husky voice, giving the pair a grin.

"Nothing yet, but I was just wondering… did you give him Budweiser?"

"Yes ma'am," he nodded. For the second time tonight, Lucas's jaw dropped. "Is that it?"

"Yup," Brooke said grinning widely, her dimples full fledged.

"Wow," the blue eyed boy said, completely speechless. "I'll admit it, you're good."

She smiled again before feeling the vibration of her cell phone in the pocket of her jeans. It was a text message from Nathan telling her to come home. She had totally forgotten: she had _school_ tomorrow.

"I've gotta go Mystery Man," she said with a smirk. He leaned in and planted a hard kiss on her lips, knowing it would probably be the last time he ever saw her, although he hoped it wasn't. This girl was different. She wasn't throwing herself at him relentlessly, and she was smart. And she was intriguing as hell. And _hot_ as hell.

She gave him a dimpled smile one more time before beginning to walk away.

As she pushed through the glass doors, she turned around a final time. "By the way," she called to him. "I'm Brooke."

With a sly smile followed by a wink, she was gone.

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She pulled up to the white house a little while later, the taste of him still lingering on her lips: Budweiser and another flavor she couldn't put her finger on. She smiled to herself as she opened the door to the large mansion. 

Nathan stood there and Brooke jumped back with a scream. 

"Nathan! Are you trying to give me a heart attack!" she said, breathing heavily, realizing who the person was standing before her.

"Where have you been! You're home for a few hours, and you're already pulling the same Brooke stunts that got you _sent_ to boarding school!"

"I went for a drink, Natie. Relax."

"How can I relax? I had to explain to dad where you were and trust me, he was _not_ pleased, even when I lied and said Rachel's. They wanted you _home_."

She smiled. "And I _am_ home!" She raised her right hand. "I promise, I'll be good from now on," she said with the pout that got her anything she wanted.

He sighed. "_Fine_," he replied, dragging the word out. "But you have to be up at 7:30 tomorrow morning. So, I suggest you get to sleep."

"Thanks mom," she teased. She walked over to him and they hugged. "I missed you Natie, I really did."

"I missed you too, Brookie. More than you'll know. Now get to sleep!"

With a playful shove, she was headed up the stairs, Nathan trailing behind her.

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He lay in his bed looking at the ceiling. It seemed as if the night was droning on forever. However, he had only been in bed for forty two minutes. He knew this because he kept checking the small clock that sat on his nightstand. 

His thoughts were plagued with her body… chocolate tendrils falling over creamy shoulders… slender fingers spinning the slim red straw in her drink. The way she tasted. Like vanilla sugar tinted with alcohol. 

And he would never see her again.

He looked over at the clock. 1AM.

He closed his eyes and tried to convince himself that if he fell asleep, he could at least dream about seeing her again.

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The next morning came way too soon in Brooke's opinion. She could've stood to continue her fierce dream about the mysterious blonde's hands running all over her body while her fingers dug into his back in pleasure. But instead, she was greeted by the excruciatingly vicious sound of the alarm clock Nathan had so considerately set for her followed by the blinding sunlight pouring into her room as she opened her eyes.

She buried herself beneath the covers again with a groan.

"Don't think you're not going to school, princess," Nathan announced from her doorway.

"Please Nathan! One more day!" Her cry was muffled by the layer of blanket she had engulfed herself in.

"Nope. Not happening. Now get up."

A few moments later, she found herself mechanically brushing her teeth in the bathroom. She washed her face with cold water and smirked at herself in the mirror. So, she had to go to school, but it would be a new adventure. New boys to corrupt. New teachers to piss off. _Maybe this won't be so bad._

She got dressed in her favorite pair of jeans with a long sleeved black shirt with a dipping v-neck, revealing her prized cleavage. Her hair was straight and her eye makeup was simple: just a little mascara to make her hazel eyes pop. She applied lip gloss and blush to finish off the look.

Grabbing her cell phone and keys on the way out, she headed toward Nathan's car, where he was patiently waiting for her.

She stuck her tongue out at him playfully as she strutted toward the car. He returned her silly face with a roll of his eyes. 

_Tree Hill High, here I come._

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Haley was waiting for him outside. He was fully aware. Since his six-month-younger best friend and neighbor couldn't drive yet, she depended on him for rides to and from school. Most of the time, he was dependable. Other times, though, he would be late enough to be subjected to Haley's incessant whining calls saying that she was 'freezing her butt off, Lucas Eugene Scott' and unless he wanted the whole school to hear about the time that he 'confessed his love to Peyton Sawyer through a love letter in sixth grade,' he'd better get his butt outside _now_. Naturally, he tried to avoid these conversations at all costs. But today, he couldn't help but be late. 

He had only gotten four hours of his sleep and his body begged him to stay in bed and skip school for the day. However, his mother Karen would allow no such thing unless he was burning up with 106.6 degrees of fever.

He could hear his cell phone ringing from the pair of last night's discarded jeans. Knowing it was Haley, he ignored it, choosing to get dressed instead.

He threw on his signature Keith Scott Motors sweatshirt. His father still owned the mechanic shop although he had opened his own, extremely successful car dealership as well. The dealership partnered up with Keith Scott Motors, and within a matter of a few short years, the Scotts became one of the wealthiest families in Tree Hill.

His mother kept her café, Karen's Café, only because, unlike the rich wives and mothers of the town, she had to be doing _something_ besides shopping all day. Plus, the café had been a part of their family since Lucas could remember, and she was not willing to give it up just because they had hit a little bit of success.

He hurriedly grabbed his books and ran outside to meet Haley.

"I'm sorry Hales," he said as he saw her overly-angry face. "You know, you're perfectly welcome to come inside and wait for me when I'm running late."

"That's not the point! I have an algebra test first period and if I'm late Mr. Cohen is gon--..."

"Well, then stop complaining and let's go!"

The two got into the car and Lucas sped down the block. "So, why do you look like a zombie today?"

"Rough night," he replied as he ran his hands through his messy hair.

"Rough night or rough _girl_?" she teased, knowing about Lucas's love for one night stands that had developed with his joining of the varsity basketball team.

"I couldn't sleep, _Haley_," he said angrily. He was cranky, and this was not the time for his best friend to be judging his newfound lifestyle. He didn't mind it, and she had no right to.

"Okay, relax grumpy. Just drive," she said, rolling her eyes. 

He sighed, feeling bad for yelling at his best friend. "I'm sorry for being so snappy, I'm just exhausted." He ran his hand through his hair, making it more bed-head-messy than it already was. 

"Really?" she replied sarcastically, "Because I couldn't tell."

"Ha-ha," he said, faking a laugh.

They pulled into a spot in the school parking lot, with Haley attempting to open the door before the car was even parked.

"Relax! You'll get there!" Lucas shouted from the car as she darted toward the school.

"Meet me here at the end of the day! Don't leave without me again!" she yelled from the quad. She continued running, and Lucas watched her, shaking his head with a small smile, as she entered the school building in a rush.

He, on the other hand, decided to take his time. Although he liked English, he didn't mind being a few minutes late. The teacher loved him, and she would never give him detention for being a little tardy.

He got out of the car slowly, pulling his books over his shoulder. The air was perfectly crisp as he walked toward the large building he called his school.

Another normal day at Tree Hill High School awaited him.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Okay, Miss Davis, here's your schedule. If you need any help, just ask someone in here. We'd all be happy help," the old secretary assured her. The elderly woman smiled at her and Brooke couldn't help but smile back.

"Thank you so much," she said with a quick goodbye wave.

She wandered out the office door into the hallway. _Ha! First period English! Perfect. I'll be able to sleep late all the time_, she thought to herself with a smirk. 

She walked down the hall looking for the room number. A few minutes of searching led her to the room marked on her paper. _Room 208._

She took a breath before entering the room, unsure of what to expect. She opened the door slowly.

"Ah, you must be Brooke," the young, tan and toned male teacher announced as she made her way into the room confidently.

"You're Mrs. Fletcher?" she asked, confused, looking down at her schedule. The entire class snickered in reply. _1__st__ Period – English – Mrs. Fletcher_ the small paper read. 

"No, Mrs. Fletcher won't be here for the rest of the year. I'm your new teacher, Mr. Chavez. And you're late."

"I'm new," she challenged. "I was in the office getting my schedule. Trust me, if I was gonna intentionally be late, I wouldn't even come at all," she smiled boldly causing more snickers from the class.

"Excuses, excuses. We already have one boy who received a detention for being tardy," he said, as he motioned toward a boy sitting down. "Maybe you two should meet?"

Immediately, she recognized the boy. His blue eyes were wide in shock as the familiar brunette stood in front of the classroom. His gray sweatshirt hung limply on him, and his blonde hair was disheveled. He still looked good, but not the _good_ she remembered. He had looked more put together at the bar the previous night. Now, he just looked plain _tired_

"So, let's make that _two _detentions for today. You'll meet me here today, after school. Got it?" 

"Got it," she said distantly, regaining her composure only to give the young teacher a seductive smile. He rolled his eyes, but couldn't help noticing how attractive the girl was. 

She slid into the only vacant seat, which happened to be diagonal from the nameless blonde. She couldn't believe he was here. She kept her eyes focused on the teacher, hoping that the Mystery Man would get the idea. 

"So, class, as I was saying before Miss Davis _rudely_ interrupted me," Chavez began. "For my first assignment, we will be doing a project about a famous author, of your choice, with partners…" The class groaned loudly in response.

"Do we at least get to pick our partners?" a student called out hopefully.

"…a project with partners who _I_ have _assigned_," Mr. Chavez continued. When I call your name and your partner's name, please sit together and begin discussing when you will begin working. You will have a week to research the author of your choice. Now, let's begin. Peyton and Tim… Jake and Nikki… Brooke and Lucas… Bevin and Antwonne…."

Upon hearing her name, she looked around the class, unsure of whom _Lucas_ was. She continued looking around. Lucas… Lucas… the name sounded familiar. Suddenly, she remembered where she had heard the name.

_The jackass who was stealing Nathan's spot on the team! Lucas Scott!_ God, how she hoped there was more than one Lucas in the school, otherwise, Nathan would freak out…

She jumped a little as someone tapped her shoulder, her thoughts consuming her. She turned around only to lock eyes with the blue-eyed boy from the previous night.

"By the way, I'm Lucas," he said with a small, seductive smile, trying to make light of the awkward situation at hand.

"Oh God… This can't be happening," she said shaking her head. "_Please_ tell me your last name isn't _Scott_?"

"It is. Why?" he asked in confusion.

"Shit… My _brother_ is Nathan Davis. And I need to get my partner switched."

She immediately walked to the front of the classroom where Mr. Chavez was standing. 

"Mr. Chavez," she said in her sexiest raspy voice, hoping that he would be as slimy as the Spanish teacher she'd slept with. "I really need a change in partners."

"And why is that Miss Davis?" he asked, folding his arms neatly across his chest.

"It's really funny," she said, forcing a nervous laugh. "My brother and Lucas despise each other, and if Nathan or my parents find out that I'm working with Lucas… well, it won't be good for me _or_ you," she smiled weakly, hoping to get her way.

He smiled wickedly back at her. "No partner switches will be made. Now, you and Lucas go discuss your next study date!"

"Well, Mr. Chavez," she murmured, placing a small hand on his muscular arm. "If you did me this one _little, _tiny favor, there are a bunch of much _bigger_ favors I could help you with."

Mr. Chavez looked down into the young girl's eyes, fighting his hormones. "Well, Miss Davis," he said, slowly peeling her fingers off of his arm. "No deal this time, but I may take you up on that offer in the future," he whispered sexily.

She pouted before turning on her heel and walking back toward Lucas.

"What was that about?" he asked angrily, offended by the fact that she was ready to switch partners that easily.

"Okay, here's the deal," she whispered harshly. "Last night _never_ happened. Nathan cannot find out about us working together. And you and me? We don't talk about anything besides this project unless we're being threatened with violence. Got it?"


	3. Miss Behave

"You're a real bitch," Lucas mumbled to himself, loud enough for Brooke to hear. He didn't want to attract attention knowing what Nathan would do if he found out anything about him and Brooke, but still, he could tell that his classmates were watching out of the corner of their eyes.

"Don't even go there, Lucas," she hissed. "You probably knew I was his sister all along and you're just looking for a way to get to him…" she spat defensively.

"Like I care enough to waste my time," he replied nastily. The whole class was now at full attention, waiting to see what the new girl was going to do about her brother's worst enemy and his attitude problem.

She stepped toward him aggressively causing some of the girls in the class to gasp dramatically.

"What are you gonna do princess?" he mocked as he folded his arms across his chest. She looked at him with anger, his intimidation doing nothing to change her mind.

She raised her hand to go and slap him, but retracted it mere seconds later before it made contact with his cheek. "You're not even worth my time…" she said before turning on her heel to walk away.

"That's not what you thought last night," he whispered harshly. The class was now inching in, trying to hear their conversation. Noticing this, Brooke turned around and moved as close to him as possible. His smirk was now a devious one. The only thing Lucas Scott had over her was a kiss that she was regretting more and more with each second. However, this little kiss could lead to bad things for not only Brooke, but for Lucas.

She walked toward him again. "What do you want from me?" she whispered, letting her shoulders hang in defeat. She felt as if she had betrayed her brother, even though she hadn't known she was doing it, and all she wanted to do was put last night behind her. "Just tell me, and you'll have it."

He sighed, his face becoming the calm one she had met last night. Their classmates had now dispersed, unable to hear the conversation and their full-blown conflict now over. "Let's just get through this project, okay? Do you wanna go to the library after we have detention together today?"

She shrugged. "Do I have a choice?"

"Not unless you want a bad grade in this class," he said simply with a small smile.

"Then I guess I'm going to the library with you," she sighed. "But I don't have my car with me…"

"I'll take you, if you want. I mean, we have detention together anyway. We can go right after that."

She nodded before reaching into her pocket. "Here," she said, handing her cell phone to him. "Put your number in… just make sure it's not under 'Lucas,' just in case Nathan finds it. I think 'Jackass' or 'Asshole' would be appropriate, but the choice is yours," she smirked spitefully. 

He shook his head at her, feeling beaten. Where had the intriguing, mysterious, _sexy_ girl from last night gone? Instead, it was like he was stuck with a gorgeous, sarcastic she-devil.

"It's under Henry."

"Henry?" she asked with confusion in her eyes. She tried to suppress a laugh. "What kind of name is _Henry_?"

"Excuse me, _Henry_ is a fine name."

He pulled out his phone from his pocket and she grabbed it greedily. "Mine's under 'Brooke.' That's B-R-O-O-K-E. _Br-oo-kuh._ Remember it. God only knows how many girls you have in there as it is…"

"What?" he asked in confusion.

"Don't think I haven't heard the rumors, Player Boy," she said with a roll of her eyes.

The bell rang as she finished her sentence and she quickly pushed past him and made her way for the door, giving him no time to retaliate.

"Remember, you two!" Mr. Chavez called out as the class left. "Detention! Today! After school!"

Lucas rolled his eyes at his ass of a teacher as he wandered out of the room and into the hallway. As he walked, he came to the realization that now that he knew who Brooke was, he really had no idea who she _really_ was at all.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

The rest of the day went considerably fast for Brooke. She and Lucas had no other classes together, but she still wasn't sure if that was a bad or good thing. Her head told her it was for the better: the less of him she saw, the better. But her heart still raced as she replayed the previous night in her head over and over.

It was the last period of the day, and she was sitting next to her best friend from Tree Hill, Rachel. The two had been whispering the entire period, both antsy to get out of school.

"So, you get kicked out of boarding school for having sex in the principal's office, and your first day here, you have detention. Good to know some things never change!"

Brooke had failed to mention her little R-rated run in with Lucas Scott last night, and the fact that her detention was_ with_ the blonde himself. Nor had she mentioned the project that she had been assigned to do with him. Rachel and Nathan had been on-and-off dating since last year, mostly playing the 'friends with benefits' card, and Brooke knew that as loyal Rachel was to Brooke, she was crazy about Nathan… most of the time, at least. The two weren't an official couple because they were both pretty fucked up in the commitment and feelings department; Brooke knew that they'd end up being exclusively together with time. 

Brooke laughed at Rachel's comment and rolled her eyes playfully. 

"Oh, and I also heard about you and Lucas Scott's fight during English this morning…" Rachel whispered angrily. "Nathan _did_ tell you about his status with him, _right_?"

Brooke gulped and faked a smile. "Of course he told me! I was just telling him what a complete ass he was. Just do me a favor… don't mention it to Nathan?"

The bell rang and Brooke and Rachel wandered into the hallway side by side, their conversation left hanging.

"I won't say anything… for now," Rachel stated as they walked. "But I highly recommend that you don't speak to that boy again unless you wanna get your fat ass kicked by Nathan."

Brooke nodded as the two girls noticed Nathan walking toward the pair. Rachel instinctively flipped her hair seductively and shot him a winning smile. Brooke, on the other hand, shot her a look that Rachel caught from the corner of her eye.

"Just because he's your brother doesn't mean I can't kiss him," she whispered with a smile through gritted teeth.

Brooke laughed lightly as Nathan's figure approached them.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't my two favorite girls," Nathan said, slinking an arm around Rachel's waist.

_So, I guess that means they're on right now_, Brooke thought to herself. 

"Ready to go?" Nathan asked, turning his attention to his younger sister.

"Brooke's not coming home yet," Rachel said, eliciting a glare and smack on the arm from Brooke. "Ow!"

"What?" Nathan asked, anger already sweeping over him.

"What Rachel _meant_ is that I was a little-tiny-bit late for class and I got detention."

"How is that possible? You've been here for _one _day!"

"My English teacher is a jackass. He's hot," she smirked, "But nonetheless, a jackass. I was late because I was in the office getting my schedule, so he gave me detention," she said rolling her eyes in annoyance.

Nathan looked at her, still slightly annoyed with her behavior. 

"At least she wasn't naked this time," Rachel commented to ease the tension that lingered in the air. 

The group chuckled a little bit, and Nathan's face became more loving once again. "Okay, well, come home after okay?"

"I'm actually gonna go to the library for a little while. First project is due next week."

So, she wasn't really _lying_, she just wasn't telling the whole truth. 

"Alrighty, so I'll see you home for dinner?"

"Definitely," she smiled at him. She said goodbye to the two, leaving them alone while she headed in the opposite direction toward the room where she and Lucas would sit in silence for an hour's worth of detention.

She walked into the room with an already sitting Lucas and a smirking Mr. Chavez. 

"Second time you're late today, Miss Davis," Mr. Chavez stated as she walked through the door.

"Shhh!" she said, bringing a finger to her lips. "No talking in detention!" she whispered cleverly. She smiled devilishly at him and walked toward an empty seat far, far away from Lucas. 

Mr. Chavez was now sitting behind his desk grading papers while Lucas and Brooke sat in complete silence. Lucas would steal a glance of the beautiful brunette every now and then, but he tried desperately to focus on the work he had brought along with him. Brooke on the other hand was occupying herself with the latest _Vogue_ that she had stolen from Rachel during lunch. 

"So, Miss Davis," Mr. Chavez started, looking up from his papers.

She raised a hand to stop him. "Call me Brooke," she purred.

He nodded with a small smile playfully dancing on his lips. "_Brooke_. Why exactly did you get expelled from boarding school?"

Lucas looked over at the girl, his jaw dropping slightly. She had been _expelled?_

She laughed throatily. "It's a long story."

"And we have fourty-five minutes. I'm sure Mr. Scott is _extremely_ curious, as am I."

"Mr. Chavez," Brooke said, turning her attention back to the magazine in front of her. She flipped the pages, hoping to create suspense and tension between the two of them. "To be honest with you, I don't think you can handle it. Now, if you'd be so kind, would you mind being quiet? This _is_ detention and I _am_ trying to catch up on the latest trends."

Mr. Chavez looked at her, stunned and speechless. He let out a long breath and after another ten minutes of silence spoke again.

"I'm running to my office for a second. I'll be back in ten. Try to behave… especially _you_ Miss Davis," he smirked before turning for the door.

She rolled her eyes at the teacher as he left the room. She closed the magazine and gathered her things into her bag. She began to walk toward the door, when she realized Lucas wasn't following her. She turned around in confusion.

"Are you coming?" she asked.

"You're really just gonna _leave_?"

"Um, _yeah_? And you're my ride to the library, so let's go."

He contemplated for a second, unsure of whether or not to follow the brunette. "Oh _c'mon_! Live a little!"

The tone of her voice made it sound like a dare, and he was not willing to let her win another one of these games. He packed his things quickly and followed her lean body down the hallway.

They walked quickly, Lucas trailing behind Brooke, her confidence leading the way. He could see the double blue doors that led to the quad a few feet in front of them. Brooke pushed them open and the autumn air overtook them for a moment. He watched Brooke shiver momentarily, her body adjusting to the chilly temperature. 

"Which is your car?" she asked, still making her way forward with no real destination.

"Follow me," he said. He led them now, toward the vacant parking lot save for three cars that probably belonged to him, Mr. Chavez and Principal Turner. "That one," he said, pointing to the red sports car. Lucas had received the new expensive car when he had made the varsity team. He clicked the car open and they both slipped inside. 

He opened his mouth to speak, to ask Brooke about her past, but she raised a hand to stop him.

"No talking," she said before turning her gaze toward the window.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Tree Hill library was familiar to Lucas. He spent a lot of time here, looking up Robert Frost and John Steinbeck works whenever he needed to step back from his life and just breathe. 

No library was familiar to Brooke Davis. She had avoided the library at East Coast Prep at all costs. Although Chelsea had begged and begged her to go, she always refused. Sitting and _studying_ in a place filled with old, smelly books did _not_ sound fun or educational to her. If she were to ever study, she could do it from her room. But she never chose to study.

They walked in side by side, Lucas immediately feeling a warm calmness run through him due to the environment. 

"I don't like this place," she stated as soon as they walked past the first bookshelf.

They reached a set of tables and sat down. 

"What's wrong with the library?" he asked.

She sat down in one of the chairs and placed her bag on the table. "They're boring… and they smell bad."

"So, where would you rather be?"

"That's easy! Far away from _you_…" she replied with a sneer.

He sighed, exasperated with her attitude. "I thought we said we'd just get through this project?"

"Pissing you off is fun though!" she protested with a pout.

"Let's just get this over with," he said, rolling his eyes for what seemed like the millionth time since he had met her. "What author do you want to do?"

"I can name about one author off the top of my head and that's Dr. Seuss. So you can pick. Or better yet! You can just do this whole project so I can go home, we get a good grade, and we see as little of each other as possible! Everyone wins!" she stated excitedly, clapping her hands together.

He sighed, _again_. He really did want to hang out with Brooke. She had proved to be beyond intriguing last night, and the more she pushed him away now, the more he wanted to get to know what was really behind the bitchy façade. However, there was only one problem: she didn't want to get to know him. Or at least, that's how she was acting.

"We'll do John Steinbeck. I know a lot about him already, so it should be easy. I'll go get a few books."

He left Brooke alone to collect her thoughts._ God, he was cute when he was pissed off._ She began letting her mind wander, letting it ask questions she was scared to verbalize. _What would happen if Nathan found out? What would it be like to kiss him again knowing Nathan hated him? Was he bothered by thoughts of her as much as she was with thoughts of him? _She cursed herself mentally for even _thinking _about him. She should've been plotting how to escape this torture instead. 

She shook her head of these questions only to see Lucas reappearing in front of her with a stack of books in tow.

"You're kidding, right?" she asked, assuming she'd have to actually _read_ them.

He chuckled. "Only two of these are on Steinbeck. The rest are for me to take home to read." He sat down next to her again, pulling the two Steinbeck biographies from the pile. He passed her one.

"How do you find time to read?" she asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, from what I've heard, between basketball and screwing the entire female population of the school, you have a pretty busy schedule."

"It's not the entire female population. It's mostly girls our age… and a few senior girls," he smirked. His face became serious once again as he watched her roll her hazel eyes and he shrugged. "To be serious, I guess you always find time to do the things you love."

"So that includes girls," she commented. He shook his head and she smiled weakly. Truth be told, she had expected him to retaliate with something about her history with boys, but he hadn't. So, she was left feeling slightly defeated. 

"What do you love?" he asked, trying to get to know the mysterious girl next to him.

"Smoking, drinking, and boys," she smirked.

"Ha-ha," he laughed sarcastically. "Seriously. What would you do all the time if you could pick anything?"

"I don't know… probably something fashion related," she found herself confessing. As the words slipped out of her mouth like honey, she was taken aback. "Why am I telling you this and why do you care?"

He leaned in so their faces were mere inches apart. "Because, I want to get know you. Is that such a crime?"

She pushed his shoulder so that he was now a safe distance away, although she wished she could pull him closer instead. "You'll get to know what the back of my head looks like in five seconds if you don't get a grip here. I don't think you understand the consequences for _both of us_ if Nathan finds out I'm here!"

"What's he gonna do?" he said challengingly.

"Beat the shit out of you… and possibly me." She sighed. "He's so protective of me. It can be suffocating, but I know it's just because I'm his hot little sister and he just wants to protect me out of love."

"So, maybe you should tell him to back off."

"I can't. Even if I said something, he won't. My dad makes him feel even more obligated to protect me than his brotherly instincts already do. I'm like, the prodigal daughter. While Nathan has straight A's in every class, I'm lucky not to be held back. While he's excelling at basketball, I'm excelling at fucking up… or getting fucked up. Depends on the day," she said, smiling weakly. "And kissing you last night and being here with you today? That classifies under another Brooke Davis mistake in my house!"

"So you regret it?" he asked. She looked at him. His eyebrows were furrowed, his forehead crinkled. She wanted to tell him it was the best kiss she'd had in awhile and that she'd give anything to do it again. But instead, she had to keep up her guard against this so-called-enemy.

"I don't regret _anything_…" she started. "Because if you regret something, you don't learn your lesson."

Lucas sat, his face drooping with defeat. So, she didn't regret it, but it was a lesson on something to avoid. He watched her as she began opening her notebook and the biography he had given her to read. They both worked silently for the next twenty five minutes, taking notes on the oh-so-interesting life of John Steinbeck. _German and Irish ancestry. Born in California. Attended Stanford University._

Brooke tapped her pen on her notebook in frustration. She hated school. She hated projects. She needed fresh air. She looked over at Lucas who had basically written his _own_ novel on John Steinbeck at this point. She looked back down at her paper. She had four bullets.

"Let's get out of here," she said suddenly.

He looked up from his paper into the hazel abyss of her eyes. "We have a project to do."

"And another six days to do it. C'mon, I'm bored."

"Where do you wanna go?"

"I don't know… I don't even care. You can pick. Just make sure it's not another library… or the school… or anywhere else that could possibly educate me."

He thought for a second about where they could go. "Okay," he said finally. "I can't guarantee you'll like it, but… Let's go."


	4. No No No

**Hi everyone! Normally, I don't do this… But I really need some more reviews to update this. When I originally posted it, I had like, a little less than 70 after 5 chapters. So please! Help me get another batch of amazing reviews! Thanks babys! **

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They walked through the library, Brooke smiling in satisfaction at Lucas's compliance with her plan. After a five minute ride, they arrived at a basketball court that Brooke had never been to before. It overlooked the river that coursed through North Carolina. 

"_This_ is the River Court," Lucas announced as they both stood outside the car side by side, their backs leaning against the cold metal.

"It's pretty," she complimented. And it was. It was almost six o'clock, and the sun hung low in the sky casting pink and purple shadows on the clouds. The water sparkled behind the black paved court. "It's beautiful, actually." 

"Yeah, I know. It's basically my second home," he said as he began walking toward the bench that had been set up. She followed him letting his soothing voice guide her. "Whenever I'm mad or I just need to be alone, I come here. This is where I learned to play basketball… Here, it's not a lifestyle or a competition. It's just a game. I'm pretty sure that this is the only place that keeps me sane."

"The stables…" she mused aloud. They sat down on the bench together, their backs to the water.

"What?" he asked, confused by her random statement. 

"This is like the stables. I found them my first year at my old school. God, I hated that school my first year there. All the girls were these snotty bimbos," she said, reminiscing on those days. They hated that the boys thought I was cute and that I had gone to third base within a week of being there while they were all stuck at first base." She smiled to herself remembering the first time a boy had ever touched her in the kind of way that could make a girl scream. "One day, I was really upset because this girl had screamed that I was a slut in front of _everyone _during dinner, so I went for a walk. Next thing I know, I found the old stables that no one used anymore. And from then on, I always used to go there to just get away from everyone."

"Exactly. Sometimes, it's just unbearable with all these people judging you and telling you how to act, and how to look."

"Yeah, tell me about it," she huffed. "I love who I am. People telling me to change is just gonna make me want to be more _me_-ish." She smiled.

"You keep changing," he said as he stared at the stunning girl before him. 

"What do you mean?" she asked in confusion.

"Last night, you were this mysterious, intriguing girl and all I could think about when I got home was what I would do if I got the chance to see you again…"

"Which is what?" she interrupted out of curiosity.

"Kiss you. Get to know you. Maybe do more than just kiss you," he smirked. "But, then this morning," he said, his forehead now wrinkling in frustration. "…you were this completely different girl who was ready to slap me. And now, here you are, being honest and real with me and letting me into your world."

"It's a part of the whole 'keeping people on their toes' thing," she said, offering a small smile.

She liked hearing that he wanted to kiss her, but it also scared her. She was afraid to even be here with him, much less kiss him again. But what she was scared of most was admitting her congruent desires. She wasn't supposed to be feeling this way, not with a one time hook-up who was her brother's rival.

"Shit, what time is it?" she said, regaining a grip on reality. _Nathan_ was waiting for her at home. The brother who had always been there for her and protected her was waiting for her, and she was sitting with his adversary.

"A little after six?" he guessed with a small shrug. 

"I gotta get home…" She started to get up hastily and he followed her lead.

"Why?" he asked, rushing to open the door to the drivers side.

"Dinner… with Nathan. I promised him," she stated as the engine revved. They sped down the long winding back roads before arriving in the area that surrounded Brooke's house.

"Just drop me here," she stated, although they were still a few blocks from the infamous house with the red door.

"Why? It's only a few more blocks, I can spare the gas," he teased. She looked over at him in utter astonishment at his stupidity, only to be met by a small playful smile tugging at the corner of his lips. 

"Are you dumb? I'm pretty sure Nathan knows what car you drive…"

"So what, Brooke? We have a project to work on together. There's your excuse."

She opened the door and stepped out into the cold air. 

"And what was the excuse for kissing you?" she asked before slamming the door and walking down the block.

He watched her walk down the road strewn with colorful autumn leaves, unsure what the answer was to her question. What _was _the excuse? The fact that she won the game of pool? The alcohol pumping through her veins? The thrill of uncharted waters? Pure lust?

And how could she not want to do it again?

He watched her become smaller for a few seconds longer before making a U-turn in the direction of his own house. 

And what was his excuse for caring so much?

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Brooke walked through the house into the kitchen, not surprised to see white containers of Chinese food arranged on the table along with a stack of plates. She could hear Nathan's faint rummaging coming from deeper into the house.

"Nathan, I'm home!" she announced as she made her way to the refrigerator. She grabbed the wine and poured herself a glass. "Nathan!" she yelled, this time louder. When no reply came, she followed the faint noise until it became louder. 

"Oh. My. God," she said gasped, covering her mouth in shock, as she reached the den. In front of her was a fully naked Rachel on top of a partially naked Nathan. "I'm just gonna pretend I _never_ saw this!" she announced loudly before turning out of the room hurriedly. 

The two turned from their intense kiss to see Brooke's back walking fast in the direction of the kitchen. Rachel giggled before quickly slipping Nathan's oversized t-shirt over her naked body. Nathan pulled his pants on swiftly, not without groaning at notice of his still existent excitement, before running into the kitchen after Brooke. She was standing at the counter taking large gulps of her wine.

She looked at him with harsh eyes. "And you say I'm bad!" she yelled, half teasing, half serious.

"I thought you were at the library!"

"You said we had to have dinner together!"

"Okay, I'm sorry, I'm sorry… It'll never happen again."

She sighed with a small smile. "You can do whatever you want, Nathan. But just don't yell when I decide to have a boy… or two… or maybe even a girl… over!" 

He laughed. "Very funny. Do you mind if Rach eats with us?"

"As long as she's clothed," Brooke replied with a skeptical face. Knowing Rachel, she would be more than happy to sit at the table naked.

"I'll let her know your terms."

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

The three sat around a buffet of Chinese food, all dressed, and all smiling. Nathan and Rachel were smiling for reasons Brooke was less than happy to know. But why Brooke was smiling, no one could fathom.

"Someone took her happy medicine this morning. What's up with the goofy smile?" Rachel remarked from across the table. 

Brooke felt her heart leap momentarily. She shrugged once it fell back into her chest. "No reason. I just like being home… even if it does involve catching you guys doing the dirty."

Nathan snickered. "I'm sorry, I forget that I have to actually share the house with someone!"

"Yeah, seriously… before you came back, I was here every single free minute of every day… and night… and even morning! Remember the time th--…"

Brooke held up her hand, stopping the red head's speech, closing her eyes tightly in an effort to erase the images from her mind. "Ugh, too much info," Brooke commented, sticking her tongue out in disgust.

"Oh Brooke, when did you become a prude?" Rachel smirked.

"Hello? Older brother present!" Nathan said with a roll of his eyes. "Topic change, please?"

"So," Rachel started, turning her attention to Nathan. "are you excited for the Bear Creek game this weekend?" 

"If Whitey actually let's me play the full game, I'll be thrilled," he said, slamming his fist down on the table in frustration. "All I ever hear out of that old man's mouth is _Lucas, Lucas, Lucas_!"

Brooke shuddered at the sound of his name. 

"_You pick," he said inching toward her slowly._

"_Anything I want?" she said, furrowing her eyebrows with a small smile._

"_Anything you want."_

"_You sure about that?" she said, looking at him quizzically._

"_Positive."_

She shook her head to cure her mind of thoughts of the blue eyed boy and tuned back in to Nathan's complaints about that very same boy. 

"Maybe he's not as bad as you think… Maybe you should be pissed at Whitey," she offered.

"Are you kidding Brooke? You're really taking that jackass's side? You must've heard what everyone says about him! The way he treats girls… he's an asshole!"

Rachel eyed her suspiciously before taking a bite of her chicken.

She gulped. "Well, not all rumors are true," she said in her tiniest voice. 

Nathan's face contorted in rage. His mouth hung open slightly, about to speak, when Rachel interrupted him.

"Just drop it!" she bellowed, trying to protect Brooke from the dark waters that were Nathan Davis and Lucas Scott.

They ate the rest of their meals making small talk about school, and in Brooke and Rachel's case, make up and Justin Timberlake. 

"Okay, now that I officially feel like I'm going to explode, I'm gonna go lay down. Can you two try and be good? I know I'll only be upstairs, but I still have ears!" Brooke said wagging a finger teasingly. 

"Okay mommy dearest," Rachel announced. "I can't make any promises, but we can _try_ to keep the volume at a minimum," she smirked.

She rolled her eyes. "Good enough for me."

She walked up the winding staircase toward her room, making sure to take her books and cell phone with her. As she fell back into her bed, her eyes slowly closing, her cell phone rang loudly, interrupting her.

She hesitantly reached for her phone only to see the name "Henry" on the LCD screen. She opened it reluctantly.

"Hello?" she breathed in her throaty voice.

He cleared his throat nervously. "Hey, I just wanted to make sure you got home safe," he stated.

"Hold on," she hissed into the phone. She walked over to her door and closed it quietly. 

"Sorry about that," she said, still keeping her voice slightly below normal volume, _just in case_. "Well, let's see, if I got raped or murdered, I don't think they'd be letting me have phone privileges," she teased.

"_Excuse me for being worried," he muttered. "When can we work on the project next?"_

"I don't know how many times Nathan is gonna buy the library act. He knows I hate that place more than anything..."

"_So, why don't you come here after school tomorrow?"_

She thought about it for a moment. "I don't think that's a good idea," she stated finally.

"_And why not?" He sat down on the edge of his bed and ran a hand through his messy hair. _

"Because, if you see me near a bed, you're going to be tempted to make a move, and I'm going to feel _oh so guilty_ if I have to reject you," she smirked.

"_If I'm not mistaken, you were the one who made your prize for winning pool _a kiss_," he shot back._

"Hey, you were thinking it, I just verbalized it."

"_Maybe…" he said mysteriously. "But you said you didn't want it to happen again, so it won't. So, c'mon, just come over tomorrow," he said. When he heard silence on the other end, he reiterated a phrase that she seemed to love. "_Live a little._"_

She sighed, knowing that if she wanted to continue with this little game they seemed to be playing, she would have to go to his house. "I have cheerleading tryouts since a spot just opened on the squad. So _maybe_, just maybe, after that, I'll come over."

_He smiled to himself. "I have basketball anyway, so just call me when you wanna sneak over."_

"I'll see what I decide," she said sneakily before shutting the phone, leaving Lucas with nothing but a dead line. As soon as she closed the phone, though, she released a breath she didn't even realize she was holding.

She lay back on her bed looking up at the ceiling letting a smile find its way to her lips. She was just about to doze off when, once again, her slumber was interrupted. This time, however, it wasn't a phone call. It was by a knock on her door.

"If I tell you I'm sleeping will you believe me?" she called out. With that, the door opened to reveal Rachel. 

"And what do I owe this great pleasure? You and Nathan taking a break?"

She smiled seductively. "Something like that. So, is there something you'd like to share with me?"

Brooke gulped. _How does she know about Lucas!? _she wondered to herself. "No?" she said, pretending to be confused.

"So, you're not gonna tell me who this boy is who has you grinning from ear to ear at the table?" she pried further.

"There's no boy, Rach," she stated, rolling her eyes subconsciously. 

"Ha! Do you think I don't know you? You're Brooke_ fucking_ Davis! You haven't gone without a boy since we were twelve years old!"

"Ten actually." She stuck her tongue out at her friend. "There's really no one."

"Is it because you're hung up on that two letter name guy?"

"CJ?"

"Yeah, him."

Brooke allowed herself to think about CJ for a moment. Actually, he hadn't crossed her mind since she had arrived home. She wondered if he would actually visit like he said he would. "Yeah, I do kinda miss him," she lied. 

"Well, don't! You have a whole school of fresh new boys. We'll find you someone to screw. Maybe someone who your brother even approves of!" she said, patting Brooke's head.

"If I play dead or roll over, do I get a treat?" she said with a hopeful face in reference to Rachel "petting." 

"Very funny, bitch. I'm going home. Comfort your brother when he starts to cry because he misses me?"

"Of course," she smiled.

Finally alone, she crawled underneath her covers and tried for the third time to fall asleep.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

"_Nathan, I'm sorry, I didn't know who he was!" she pleaded, now talking to her brother's back._

"_Save it, Brooke," he yelled as he turned around. "_What's your excuse for seeing him after?_"_

"_We had a project together. I tried having my partner switched! My teacher hates me!" she said, still trailing behind him. He was moving with all the speed in the world as she barely crawled behind him. "Please, Nathan," she screamed, but only the echoes of her voice were heard. _

_Tears began streaming down her face and with each one that fell onto the floor, there was a loud ringing…_

She awoke from the nightmare to the sound of her cell phone. She didn't know what time it was, nor did she care. Her face was coated in a thin sheen of sweat and it took a moment to realize that she really _hadn't_ lost her brother forever. Once she gained her composure, she reached for her cell phone that sat on the night stand. Without looking at who it was, she answered groggily.

"Hello?" she rasped. 

"_I need to see you."_

------------------------------

He couldn't understand why he had come. He had gone home, eaten dinner and had decided to go back to the Blue Post, where he and Brooke had met, for a drink. He didn't care that it was a school night. One beer wouldn't give him an unbearable hangover. It would just make him a little calmer. But one beer had turned into four, and not realizing what he was doing, he had tried driving home. However, when he looked out his window, he realized he was no where near home. He was down the block from the Davis house.

As he stood, his bottom resting on the hood of his car, waiting for Brooke, he still couldn't believe that she had agreed to come outside. He had already prepared himself for rejection and was expecting the worst when Brooke had mumbled a quick, _"I'll be right down," _only moments before.

He looked toward her house waiting for her curvaceous figure to appear. Within moments, a shadow of the beautiful girl began walking toward him. 

"Hi," he murmured when she reached him. She folded her arms over her chest, rubbing her palms across the bare skin in an effort to warm herself. Instantly, Lucas pulled off his zip-up sweatshirt and draped it over her. She smiled softly as she pushed her arms through the oversized jacket. As he pulled away from her, she couldn't help but notice the smell of alcohol on his breath.

"Why are you here?" she said, breaking the silence.

"I… I don't know," he admitted. His words were slightly slurred. Not to the point of being unrecognizable, but enough for Brooke to know he had been drinking.

"Are you stupid?" she questioned, her face emotionless. "You've been drinking."

"I had a few beers," he shrugged. "No big deal."

"Having a few drinks is no big deal. _Driving_ after you've been drinking? That's a big deal."

"I'm a big boy, Brooke," he stated stubbornly. 

"You shouldn't have called me, Lucas…"

"Why?"

"Because we shouldn't be seeing each other. And even in your drunken state, you know that."

"You're the one who agreed to meet me!" he retorted.

She bowed her head and shook it.

"Why did you meet me then? If you don't wanna see me, why did you come out here?"

"I don't know!" she burst, throwing her hands up in frustration. "I was half asleep, and you asked me to meet you, and now that I'm _fully_ awake, I realize it was a mistake!" With that, she turned on her heel and began to walk away. She didn't get more than a few inches before Lucas had latched onto her arm and pulled her back toward him.

They were now standing inches apart, face-to-face.

"Why are you doing this?" she pleaded. "If you're trying to get to Nathan, _please_ don't do it through me."

"I don't want Nathan, Brooke! I want you!"

"Maybe we should finish this project separately…" she suggests softly. 

He sighed, feeling defeat sweep over him. "Maybe we should."

She shook her head solemnly, not wanting to let the blonde boy out of her life so easily. He was challenging, something Brooke wasn't used to when a guy was interested in her. Normally, they were throwing themselves at her, causing her to just have to choose. But Lucas… Lucas was a mystery and he was also off limits.

"I guess I better go," he stated, rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

She nodded before turning around and walking toward her house. He stands for a moment watching her, seeing if she'll really just walk away. After a few moments, he gave up and started heading toward the driver's seat.

"Lucas!" she called suddenly. He looked up at her, his eyebrows raised waiting for her to continue.

She ran back over to him, still unsure of what was driving her to what she was about to say.

"We should finish it together," she states breathlessly. "Just… Nate can't find out."

He nodded quickly, still confused by her sudden change in heart. "Tomorrow?" she asks. "Your house after basketball and my cheer tryouts?"

He nods once again. "Tomorrow," he repeats before he's forced to watch her brown curls fade into the darkness once again.


	5. Behind Enemy Lines

Don't look at him, she instructed herself

_Don't look at him,_ she instructed herself. _Don't look at him. Don't. Nathan's _right there

The basketball team jogged around the gym, each boy smirking or winking at their girlfriends. She watched as Rachel returned Nathan's smile with a seductive wink. Bevin stuck her tongue out, playfully, at her boyfriend, Skillz. Brooke allowed herself to glance at Lucas momentarily from the corner of her eye. He wasn't smiling. In fact, as he stared in her direction, his face was completely serious and completely emotionless. _He's probably nursing a hangover,_ she thought to herself. However, before Brooke could try to fully analyze what was causing Lucas to brood so much, her thoughts were interrupted. 

"Okay girls! Let's go!" Brenda, the head cheerleader, announced from the front of the group, breaking Brooke from her view of the sexy blonde's toned arms and fit body. "Fifty crunches, then you'll learn the routine you'll have to try-out with!"

The girls all found themselves on their backs, doing crunches, as the boys lined up to take foul shots.

_19… 20… 21…_

"Move your asses you pansies!" she heard Whitey bellow from across the gym. "Scott! Show Davis how to take a _proper_ foul shot, please?"

She cringed at the sentence. Nathan was not going to be a happy camper.

"Scott, share the damn ball!" she heard Whitey say, a few moments later. "Pass it to Davis!"

Apparently, neither was Lucas.

The girls all stood up to face Brenda once they were done with their crunches.

"Did you just hear what Whitey was saying to Nathan?" Brooke whispered to Rachel.

"Yeah," she sighed. "He must have Alzheimer's because _Nathan_ was the reason we even won our last game. Without him, we would've been shoved to seventh place!"

"I know how to hit a foul shot, old man," Nathan barked into Whitey's face. Lucas was sitting besides him in the office, Whitey sitting at his desk across from them. Practice had ended a few minutes ago, but the two boys were not getting away so easily.

"Well, if you know how, then you better start proving it, Davis!"

"Listen, man, we can just hit a few shots after school tomorrow or something…" Lucas offered. He was not in the mood to fight with Nathan right now. He was in the mood to go home and spend time with Brooke whether she liked it or not. The girls had ended a few moments after they had, and all he wanted to do was get out of Whitey's office and into his car.

"You listen! Before you, I carried this team. And I still do, dammit! So stay out of my shit, and focus on your own game!" Nathan yelled into Lucas's face before storming out of the small office.

Whitey sighed. "Most stubborn boy in the whole world. The only quality he and his sister share," he thought aloud. "Can't believe that firecracker is back!"

"You talk like you know her really well…"

"I did. Wild one, she was! Always racing Nathan… always trying to kiss all of the boys in her classes… always stealing gum from the convenience store on Main Street. A real firecracker…" he said, chuckling to himself.

Lucas smiled knowing that nothing had changed about her. He may have not known her since she was young, but within the few days he had known her, she proved to be more than a handful.

His cell phone vibrated in his pocket. Pulling it out, he read the front LCD screen: _Brooke._ "I've gotta go Coach. I'll see you at practice tomorrow."

As he walked into the hallway, he flipped open his still vibrating phone. "Hey, sorry… Coach had to talk to me," he answered, intentionally not mentioning that Nathan had joined them.

"Don't worry about it. I'm by your car already."

"Okay, I'll be there in a second," he said, a smile tugging at his lips.

"Rachel, where's Brooke?" Nathan asked as he re-entered the gym to gather his things.

"She told me to tell you she's going to the library again to work on that stupid project," she said, rolling her eyes. "What happened with you and our favorite jerk-off in there?"

"He and Whitey tried to suggest that he instructs me on how to hit a foul shot," he sneered. He wrapped his arm around Rachel's shoulders and placed a kiss on her head.

"Well, I know something that can make it all better," she smirked up at him.

"Oh yeah?"

"And with Brooke at the library…."

"Let's go to my house," he said as he quickly rushed her to the door, his excitement building.

Her arms were folded around herself and he noticed that she brought the sweatshirt from last night. It was now dangling over her arm.

"Here, I figured you'd want this back," she said as she tossed it to him.

"You could've kept it," he shrugged as he continued walking toward her.

"And risk Nathan recognizing it? Never."

He stared at her for a moment, a smile threatening to form. "Maybe you're a little paranoid," he suggested. 

"You never know!" she said defensively.

He chuckled lightly before they both stepped into the car. "I heard what happened out there today," she commented, keeping her eyes on the road ahead of them.

He sighed, glancing over at her for a second. "Whitey picks on Nathan, which I honestly can't deny… But the fact that he hates me over it isn't fair."

She tried to keep her tone even, but it becomes hard when Nathan comes into the picture. "Yeah, but you have to understand… he feels like Whitey is replacing him with you."

"Well, he's not trying to."

"Yes he is! I heard how he talked to Nathan today! He never talked to him like that until you came along!"

As they pulled up to a red light, he sighed.

"Okay, relax. Let's not talk about Nathan, okay?" he asked, knowing the subject was touchy. "Whitey was just talking about you," he ventured, trying to lighten the mood.

"When?"

He couldn't help but smile at the brunette, knowing that he would have to confess in order to tell her what Whitey had said. "Nathan and I had to go talk to him after practice."

"You were talking about me in front of _Nathan?!_" she asked frantically. 

"No!" he responded quickly, shaking his head. "Nathan had left… Whitey was just saying funny stuff about you… _to me_."

She sighed, relieved. "So what was he saying?" 

"How you used to try and kiss every boy in your classes. And how you used to steal from Town Pharmacy, on Main Street."

"Hey! I only stole a _few_ pieces of candy… and a _few_ packs of basketball cards, for Nathan," she says, remembering her not-so-innocent childhood. "And the _only_ reason I tried kissing the boys in my class was because they were saying I was _prude_!"

"At ten years old, I'm pretty sure everyone's prude…" Lucas laughed.

"_They_ weren't calling me prude! Nathan's friends were! And since he's a year older, they had all kissed girls before! So, the next day, my goal was to kiss as many boys as I could so I could impress them!"

"And were they impressed?" he asked, still laughing.

"No! That's the best part. They started calling me a _slut_ after! And that, my friend, is when I learned a major life lesson: you're either a _slut_, or a _prude_. There's no happy medium."

He chuckled and rolled his eyes playfully. "This is my house," he said, pointing to the small house on the corner of the block. The garden outside was beautiful, everything still colorful, including the leaves that were strewn across the lawn.

He let her in through the side door that led directly to his room, in order to avoid Karen Scott's questioning. She knew about the rivalry between Nathan and Lucas and she would _definitely _have more questions about why Brooke was in their house than Lucas would care to answer.

He left her in the room alone for a second to go say hi to his mother. The room was decorated with various things. Posters of his favorite bands. Basketball trophies. Pictures of his friends and family. She walked over to his night stand where there were several picture frames. One of him, his mother and father. One with him and some girl, both of them wearing goofy smiles at a carnival. The final picture was of him with a girl Brooke recognized: Peyton Sawyer. In it, Peyton was laughing, her hair blowing in the wind, and Lucas was smiling down at her. They were standing on the beach and Brooke couldn't help notice that Lucas's arm was slinked around her waist lovingly. It was one of those pictures that's completely raw and candid. _They look so damn happy_, she thought to herself, feeling a tinge of jealousy in the pit of her stomach. She held onto the picture as Lucas walked into the room, coming up behind her.

"We dated for three months… but we're too alike for it to ever work," he commented, taking the frame from her hands. He ran his finger over the glass, trying to remember why he had dated Peyton in the first place.

"Too blonde," Brooke teased before plopping on the bed, stomach first, and resting her chin on her fist. 

"Oh, make yourself at home," he teased as he pulled up his computer chair besides the bed. She propped herself up on one hand, her cheek resting in her palm. They stared at each other for a moment before Brooke broke the silence.

"Okay, so maybe we should actually work on this project."

He took a deep breath. "Confession… I kinda finished it already."

"What?" she asked skeptically. She sat up quickly. "So why'd you invite me here?" She took another deep breath before continuing. "You're a liar! You know it's dangerous for me to be here! The only reason I'm here is for this project!"

"Shh," he said quickly, nodding toward the doorway. The last thing he needed was his mom to come in. "You can't even tell me that the only reason you're here is for the project."

"Well, it is," she stated stubbornly. 

"Well, I think it's because you wanted to spend time with me," he challenged.

"Nope," she said, turning her face away from him so that her eyes didn't reveal the truth.

"Liar," he stated confidently. 

She was angrier than ever now. If spending time with him for school work behind Nathan's back was bad enough, how could he think she wanted to spend time with him for_ fun_? But in reality, she knew he was right. Something drew her to Lucas Scott, and it scared the shit out of her. No guy ever got a hold on her to the point where she couldn't keep them off her mind. Now, within a few days, the most dangerous boy she could get involved with (if she loved her brother) had her hooked.

She wouldn't respond to him, so he moved over to the bed, taking a seat next to her.

"Is it completely crazy if I tell you I want to hang out with you and get to know you?" he asked as she raised her hand in protest. He shook his head at her and continued. "And I know Nathan hates me, and he's your brother, and you love him. _I get it_. But could you just give me a chance, here?"

He let out a sharp, frustrated breath. 

"No, I can't give you a chance, Lucas," she spat.

"Why the hell not?" he burst.

"Are you _seriously_ asking me that question?"

He let out another breath in frustration. "I know why you can't. But I also know why you should."

"Oh, do you?" she asked as she began gathering her things in annoyance. Although she didn't want to, she knew she had to leave. "Don't give me a speech about what a great guy you are Lucas. From what I've seen you're a liar, and you're a player. I've been hooking up with guys like you my entire life. The only difference between them and you is that you're off limits."

Lucas felt defeated, but he refused to let her get away. She was standing, furious, with her hand on her waist, clearly ready to leave, but for some reason, she was standing still, as if waiting for him to say something. Instead of saying anything, he stood up from his spot on the bed as calmly as possible. He took her things out of her hands and placed them onto the bed as her eyes followed his every movement. And before she could process what was happening, his hands were on her waist and his face was inches away from hers.

"Tell me to stop. Tell me you don't want this," he murmured to her, his breath running across her face sending chills up her spine.

Before she got the chance to respond, his lips were on hers, and neither made an effort to pull away.

The kiss became more passionate, yet still innocent. His hands still lingered on her waist as one of hers rested on his neck, running up and down across the small hairs. 

Suddenly, she placed her hands on his chest and pushed him back, breaking them apart from their kiss.

"I gotta go…" she mumbled before picking her things up and storming out the door.

Brooke needed a drink. Badly.

Instinctively, she found herself driving down the long, winding road to the bar that she and Lucas had met at only a few nights before.

The Blue Post was on the edge of Tree Hill and she knew that none of her peers would be there, especially on a school night.

_Yeah, that's what you thought the night you met Lucas,_ she thought to herself.

She quickly pulled into a spot and headed into the pool hall/bar. She took a seat on a stool between two men.

"I'll take two shots of tequila," she demanded of the bartender, her head still racing. She didn't need a drink to feel like the room was spinning, but she _did_ need a drink to numb herself to what she was feeling.

"Well, well, well…" the man on her left stated, his eyes still focused ahead of him. "If it isn't Miss Davis."

She looked over at who the voice was coming from. The man was looking straight ahead, and all she could see was his side profile. He was tan, a smirk playing on his face. She recognized the voice vaguely, but it took him turning around for her to realize who it was.

"Mr. Chavez?" she asked as the two shots and slices of lime were placed in front of her.

"_You _can call me Nick." 


	6. Secrets

She could hear her cell phone vibrating in her pocket book, but she didn't feel like moving from her bed

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"_I better go," Rachel stated, kissing Nathan's neck one last time before pushing herself up off his bed._

"_C'mon…" he pleaded, latching onto her lean arm to pull her back into him. "Five more minutes?" He kissed her again and she smiled against his lips._

"_It's already 7:30 and I have so much work to do."_

"_Rachel Gatina? Doing _work? _Has junior year changed you for the better?" Nathan teased with his eyebrows raised._

"_I believe you mean for the _worst_," she said. She gave him a final peck on the lips. "Call me later?" _

_He nodded and watched the redhead strut out of his bedroom._

_Rachel walked through the vestibule of the Davis house, glancing at herself in the mirror as she walked by it. Being with Nathan was absolutely incredible… when they were both on the same page. When they weren't on the same wavelengths, it was a living hell. So, Rachel tried to savor the moments that the two spent together not arguing._

_As she got into her black BMW, she decided to take a new shortcut she had discovered home. She blasted the music, letting the fall breeze blow her hair through the half-opened window. As she sped down a block, she couldn't help but be taken aback by what she saw. She could've sworn she saw Brooke coming out of one of the houses, but she wasn't sure. She slowed the car down and watched the silhouette of a brunette rush frantically to her car, her eyes glued to the ground. Rachel continued driving as slowly as possible without looking suspicious, watching the girl from her rearview mirror._

If that really _is_ Brooke, that is _definitely_ not the library,_ Rachel thought to herself. _But whose house is _that_?_ However, she pushed these questions to the back of her mind, giving Brooke the benefit of the doubt. She drove home, refraining from mentioning the sighting to Nathan before she could ask Brooke face-to-face._

--x--x--x--

"Drinking on a school night, _Nick?_" Brooke asked as she downed her first shot of tequila. She was determined to put the events of the night behind her and her hot teacher and a few strong drinks seemed like the makings of a perfect distraction.

She watched as Nick took a sip of his beer. "I could ask you the same thing, Miss Davis," he smirked as he took another sip from the mug.

"I'll keep your secret if you keep mine," she whispered, leaning toward him to expose her prized cleavage.

Her teacher looked her up and down, taking notice of her low cut shirt. He raised his mug of beer to her and she tapped her tequila shot with it. "Your secret's safe with me," he murmured as she downed the second shot.

"So, Mr. Chavez," she said as the alcohol coursed through her veins. "Where's your girlfriend tonight?"

--x--x--x--

Nathan sat in his room in frustration. He called Brooke's cell phone for what seemed to be the millionth time only to be met by her voicemail.

_It's Brooke. You know what to do. _Beep

He sighed as he closed the phone again. He was worried about his sister, but he knew that this stunt wasn't unusual for her. He opened his phone again and dialed the second number that he knew by heart.

"Rachel? It's me… Are you with Brooke?" Nathan said nervously into the phone, rubbing the back of his neck worriedly.

"_Nope. Haven't spoken to her since this afternoon. Why? What's wrong?"_

"She just hasn't called me, and it's 11:30 already. I know this is typical Brooke, but I still worry," he sighed.

"_Have you tried calling her?"_

"Yeah. Only about a million times."

"_Are your parents freaking?"_

"They're both not home. Dan's probably with his secretary, _again _and my mom's still on that charity thing."

"_I'm sure she's fine, Nate. If she's not home by one, call me and the two of us can go looking for her."_

"Yeah, she's probably fine, right?" he asked, trying to convince himself.

"_Absolutely. This _is _Brooke we're talking about. But like I said, give it an hour or two more and then we can start to panic."_

"Okay. Thanks, Rach," he smiled.

--x--x--x--

"I don't have a girlfriend," Nick replied. "Where's your boyfriend?"

She laughed throatily. "I don't _do_ boyfriends," she snickered.

He inched toward her so that their arms were now brushing with every movement of their bodies. "You and Scott looked cozy today."

"Lucas and I fighting? That is _far_ from cozy. I don't know what kind of relationships you've been in, but if you're into that 'fighting and aggressiveness turns me on' shit then I'm the wrong girl for you…" she smirked.

"Who says that you're even a prospect?" he remarked, a sly smile plastered on his face.

She placed her hand on his face, cupping his cheek while smiling the sexiest smile she could fake through her current state of confusion and anger. "I'm _always_ a prospect, Nick. _Always,_" she stated confidentially before ordering a beer for herself. She retracted her hand and grabbed the mug from the bartender and took a large swig.

She wasn't drunk, but she wasn't sober either. The alcohol was starting to affect her and she was sure another few chugs of the beer before her would completely numb her.

"So, Nick… How do you feel about teacher-student relationships out of class?" she asked as she placed a hand on his knee.

--x--x--x--

Why had he let her walk away?

He had finally been making progress with her. Sure, the Nathan issue was still apparent. In fact, it was _very_ apparent. However, she was starting to let him in, even if it was talking about her memories of her childhood.

It was like every single time he took a step forward in getting through to her or getting to know her, her guard would go up and land them two steps back. First, she had kissed him and then regretted it because of Nathan. Then, it was the fight outside her house after their time together at the Rivercourt. Now, they finally kissed again and she had stormed out.

He sighed as he sulked back into his bed and grabbed his cell phone. Calling her was worth a shot. He dialed her number and put the phone up to his ear only to be met with her voicemail. Either her phone was off, or she was ignoring the call. Either way, she had found one more way to shut him out of her life.

--x--x--x--

"How old are you again, Brooke?" Nick asked, getting used to calling his student by her first name.

"I'm eighteen, but my experience outdoes my age. What about you? You can't be older than thirty."

Nick was getting sexier by the minute. Her inhibitions were now completely gone as was the beer that had been in front of her only moments before. The glass was empty, the only remnants being sweet foam that had stuck to the side.

"I'm twenty-six," he replied as he gazed into her eyes. It was hard to believe that the girl before him was in fact, only a girl. Her features definitely could pass her for twenty, maybe even twenty-five.

"Do you believe in rules?" she asked as she ran her hand up from his knee to his thigh. He shivered under her touch.

"Depends…" he murmured.

She nodded, knowing that the rule that prohibited students from having relationships with their teachers was an exception for Mr. Chavez just as it had been for her former Spanish teacher. She stood up and grabbed his hand. She began walking toward the back door of the Blue Post. She pushed it opened, her hand still intertwined with Nick's. She grabbed both his hands as they reached the back alleyway, and she put her back to the brick wall. Nick immediately leaned over her, supporting himself with one of his muscular arms as his hips pressed against hers.

Immediately, he dove toward her and kissed her hard, and suddenly, Brooke's worries about Lucas and Nathan melted away.

All that mattered was that her sexy teacher was risking his career just to pin her against a wall and kiss her.

And she wasn't complaining.

--x--x--x--

Nathan sat at the kitchen table, still dialing Brooke's number repeatedly, when he heard the door slam open.

"Brooke?" Nathan called out, immediately jumping up to greet his sister.

"Hi Natey!" a clearly drunk Brooke slurred. "How are you?" She wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned her head onto his chest. "I'm very tired."

"Well, you should be, dammit! It's one in the damn morning! Where have you been?!" he yelled.

"I did my work at the library, and _then_," she said, dragging out each word. "I was in the mood to get drunk."

"You _are_ aware that it _is_ a Thursday night and you _do_ have school tomorrow, right? And you drove home like this?!" Brooke was now completely relying on him for support. She was completely collapsed into him, as if she was jell-o. "I don't even know why I'm lecturing you right now. You're wasted."

"No, I am not!" she slurred from his chest, mustering enough energy to make a fist and hit him in the chest lightly.

"Alright, Boozey. Let's get you into bed," Nathan sighed. He scooped up his sister into his arms, cradling her like the baby she insisted upon being treated like, and began walking up the stairs with her.

When they reached Brooke's room, he laid her down in her bed, making sure to tuck her in comfortably. He kissed her forehead lightly. "School is gonna be hell for you tomorrow," Nathan commented softly as he watched Brooke's eyes drift shut.

Once he left the room, her eyes fluttered open momentarily.

"For more reasons than you can imagine, Nate…" she mumbled inaudibly before drifting off into a deep sleep.

--x--x--x--

The next day came far too quickly for Lucas, but at least it was a Friday. However, he was probably going to receive another screaming call from Haley since he was sure to be late. Once again, he was up until the wee hours of the morning contemplating what to do about Brooke. Her walls were nearly impossible to break through, and Nathan hating him more with each day was definitely not going to advance him into Brooke's life. He had come to one conclusion: he needed to do something that would prove himself to both Brooke _and_ Nathan.

He got dressed and washed up in a hurry, already hearing the blaring noise of his cell phone. He chose to ignore it knowing it was Haley. One glance out his bedroom window confirmed his suspicions. Haley was leaning against his car, tapping her foot, cell phone perched between her shoulder and cheek. He rolled his eyes with a small, sad smile and quickly made his way outside.

It was gonna be a long day.

"Same girl or different one?" Haley asked with a smirk as a tired-looking Lucas approached her. He rolled his eyes in annoyance, but Haley refused to let him off this time.

"I'd like to know what girl has been keeping you up… not only as your best friend, but as your carpool that has to suffer due to your need for sleep each morning…"

"It's no one, Hales," he sighed as they began to drive.

"That's bologna if I ever heard it!"

"No, it's not… Can you let me drive? It is way too early for a Haley James interrogation."

"It's never too early for that, mister. So, instead of making me guess and beg, maybe you should just tell me?" she suggested with hopeful eyes.

"I really can't tell you, Hales… It's not what you think."

"You can't tell _me, _Haley James, your best friend of _thirteen_ years? It must _really_ be dangerous," she said sarcastically, laughing as she rolled her eyes.

He looked over at her and sighed, his face serious. "More than you know, Hales… More than you know."

--x--x--x--

As Lucas walked into English class second period, he couldn't help but feel his chest buckle at the thought of how awkward it would be sitting in the same room as Brooke after what had happened between them the previous night.

He slid into an open seat knowing perfectly well that even though there were empty chairs surrounding him, Brooke would make an intentional effort to sit as far from him as possible.

Mr. Chavez was sitting at the front of the room behind his desk examining each person lazily as they walked in… until Brooke Davis entered with Rachel Gatina besides her. His eyes wandered from the bottom of Brooke's endless legs that rested below her miniskirt to her curvaceous bottom all the way up to her noticeably large chest and finally, to her flawless face.

"Good morning, Miss Davis," he said slyly as she reached the end of his desk. "Nice of you to show up on time today," he smirked.

Brooke forced a smile back. Her memories of last night suddenly came rushing back to her. It was bad enough that she was nursing the worst hangover she had ever had during the school week, but she had to face Lucas _and_ Mr. Chavez in the same hour within the same four walls.

"Anything for you, Mr. Chavez," she replied as seductively as she could. As she turned her back to him, she rolled her eyes at Rachel. Rachel was less than amused by Brooke's antics toward her teacher, and she still was yet to question Brooke on her where-abouts the previous afternoon. But that would have to wait.

Lucas couldn't help but feel uneasy after watching the encounter between the teacher and his student. He saw how Mr. Chavez had watched the brunette walk in with his hungry eyes. Part of him wondered if he was overanalyzing it, but the other part of him recognized the voice Brooke had used to reply to his greeting.

It was the same voice she had used at his house the previous night when she flirted with him, and the same voice she used that first night at the bar, before they kissed.

Mr. Chavez was extremely young for a teacher, and not even Lucas could deny that he definitely wasn't ugly. Brooke _had_ been expelled for reasons still unknown to him at her last school. What if they had something to do with a student-teacher affair?

He looked over at Brooke who was seemingly in deep conversation with Rachel. As Mr. Chavez called the class to attention, Lucas and Brooke locked eyes momentarily. Lucas offered her an apologetic smile, but Brooke completely ignored it. Instead, she favored locking eyes with their English teacher who gave her a crooked, seductive smirk in response.

--x--x--x--

Mr. Chavez began speaking, but Brooke had tuned out before he had even started. She could see Lucas out of the corner of her eye, but she didn't have the energy to look into his blue eyes. She didn't want to keep feeling powerless.

And Nick Chavez was the answer.

If she continued her little fling with her teacher, she would have complete power. No matter what Nick did or said, she had the threat of telling Principal Turner about their status and poof, Chavez would be a name of the past.

If she continued her involvement with Lucas on the other hand, if the two got caught talking, much less kissing, Nathan finding out would make _Brooke_ a name of the past.

"Brooke," Rachel whispered from the seat next to her.

Brooke looked over at her redheaded friend.

"Where were you _really_ yesterday afternoon?"

Brooke gulped quickly. "What are you talking about?"

"I could've sworn I saw you on Burnette Drive coming out of a house."

"Wasn't me," Brooke shrugged. Mr. Chavez had now taken notice of the murmuring coming from Rachel and Brooke's direction.

"Miss Davis… see me after class," Mr. Chavez demanded before continuing his lesson.

Brooke smiled at her teacher. "Of course, Mr. Chavez."

Rachel looked between the pair, confused as to why he had singled Brooke out when it was clear she had been talking to someone else.

"You're lying to me," Rachel whispered, shaking off the Mr. Chavez-situation momentarily. "Whatever you're doing that has you so paranoid…? I suggest you end it before Nathan finds out and ends it _for_ you."


	7. Tears and Silence

The bell rang and Mr

The bell rang and Mr. Chavez watched as the entire class headed for the door… everyone with the exception of Brooke Davis and Lucas Scott.

"Brooke…." Lucas started as he walked toward her. She was gathering her things in the back of the room. She looked up at him coldly. "Can I talk to you?"

"There's nothing to talk about," she mumbled so that Mr. Chavez wouldn't hear. "If you don't mind, I need to meet with our teacher now." She put her pocketbook over her shoulder nonchalantly.

"Brooke, we need to talk about us."

"_Us_?" she questioned with a chuckle. "You and I," she gestured between the two, "we are _far_ from an _us_. There will _never_ be an us." With that, she turned away from him and walked to the front of the classroom, intentionally hitting Lucas's shoulder as she walked by him.

Lucas sighed and followed her to the front, passing her only when she had stopped at Mr. Chavez's desk. He walked out into the hallway to find Rachel Gatina sneakily waiting outside of the doorway. As Lucas walked past her, she grabbed his arm.

"Ow! What the hell are you doing?" he yelled as her fingers dug into her flesh.

"What were you and Brooke just talking about?" she asked with her eyebrows knitting together.

"Can you get your hands off me?" he asked, trying to pry her fingers off his arm. Rachel let go, giving him a small shove and nasty look.

"Tell me what you were talking about with Brooke. You _do_ know she's Nathan's sister, _right_?"

"Thanks for clarifying that," Lucas said with a roll of his eyes.

"Answer the damn question, Lucas," Rachel growled. "What could you possibly have to say to her?"

He sighed. "Rachel… please listen to me. I know you and Nathan are together or whatever, but you can't mention that you saw me talking to Brooke to him. Please?" he pleaded.

She huffed. "And why should I help you?"

"Because…" he whispered in the midst of the crowded hall, "if you don't recall the time you showed up at my house at three in the morning after you and Nathan had broken up for the millionth time that month, I can _gladly_ remind you… I mean, I can remind Nathan too if you want…" he finished with a sly smile.

She gulped. "What's going on with you and Brooke? Just tell me the truth, and then we both keep our mouths shut."

Just as Lucas began to respond, the bell rang and the students cleared the hallway.

--x--x--x--x--

"You wanted to see me, Mr. Chavez?" Brooke purred, trying to sound as innocent as possible, as she hopped onto the desk at the front of the classroom. Nick was standing, palms face down on the table, his muscular arms supporting the weight of his body. His face was serious and Brooke couldn't help but feel nervous.

"So, you and Mr. Scott…" he started, running his hand up her thigh.

"…Are nothing," she interrupted before he could make any accusations. She placed her hand on his neck causing chills to run up and down his spine. "I'm gonna need a late pass," she commented. He nodded in understanding as she kissed him lightly.

--x--x--x--x--

The pair was still standing outside of their English room although second period was now underway. The bell rang five minutes prior, and Brooke had yet to appear from Mr. Chavez's classroom.

"I'm sorry. You're her best friend. If she wanted to tell you, she would've…" he stated as he began walking toward his next class, passing the window of Mr. Chavez's class.

"Lucas!" Rachel called after him.

He rolled his eyes before turning around to face her. He was a few feet away at this point, and Rachel was smiling sadly at him. The whole situation was complicated. He and Rachel had history. He and Nathan had issues. He and Brooke had an impossible future.

"Just be careful. There's a lot more to her than a pretty face and a good body, including a brother who is more than willing to beat the shit out of you."

Lucas nodded before continuing down the hall, leaving Rachel standing helplessly, waiting for Brooke.

--x--x--x--x--

Brooke stood, holding her hair up while Nick did the clasp on her bra. They hadn't slept together… yet. Part of it was because Nick was afraid that Brooke was just being manipulative and was using him in some kind of scheme that could get him fired. But the major reason was that Brooke couldn't bear to. Sure, she had slept with more guys than most eighteen year old high school girls, but something was stopping her. Maybe it was the web of drama that she had gotten entangled in within days of being back in Tree Hill.

Or maybe it was the fact that every time Nick touched her, she ached for Lucas.

She turned around to face Nick, letting her hair flow over her bare shoulders. She quickly pulled her shirt over her head, Nick watching her intently. Once she was fully dressed, she smiled at him and passed him the pad of pre-written late notes. She nodded toward it, and he filled in the information. _Brooke Davis. English. N. Chavez. Needed help with her assignment. _He tore the piece off the pad.

She took the piece of paper from him, kissed his cheek innocently, and left the room without another word.

--x--x--x--x--

"What the _fuck_ were you doing in there for _twenty fucking minutes_?" Rachel burst as Brooke exited the room with a small grin on her face.

"Jesus," she breathed, grasping her chest dramatically. "You scared me, Rach."

Rachel's face was un-phased by her friend's dimples. "Brooke, you better start explaining what you're up to. I am your best friend and if I can see it, so will your brother… granted he is a guy, but still… He _will_ figure it out."

Before she could answer, Rachel grabbed Brooke's arm and led her toward the front door of the school. She pushed through the metal doors and led Brooke to the quad. No one was outside since class was still in session, but geometry would have to wait. At the moment, whatever Brooke was doing was much more important than math.

The pair sat down at one of the round tables.

"Fucking explain what you're doing with Lucas Scott," Rachel demanded, sitting across from her best friend.

"You cannot tell Nathan," Brooke begged. "Swear it to me, Rach." She held out her pinky for the redhead to take. The two latched their fingers together, each kissing their clenched fist.

"I swear."

"Well… the first night I got here, I went to a bar on the edge of town…"

And so the story began. Brooke told Rachel how she had met Lucas. She told her how she had won pool, and what the prize had been. She told her how she never gave Lucas the opportunity to tell her his name, and how she had thought she was never going to see him again and how she had no idea that he was Lucas Scott. She told her how she had been assigned to work with Lucas the next day in class, and how shocked she had been to realize that she had not only been paired with Nathan's rival, she had _hooked up_ with him. She told her about how she and Lucas had started opening up to one another and how it had led to another kiss. She concluded with her walking away and how she had been ignoring Lucas ever since.

But what she "forgot" to mention was that somewhere within the madness of the past few days, she had managed to hook up with her English teacher.

"Wow," Rachel stated, dumbfounded, after Brooke was finished. "You _do_ know that besides for being an ass to your brother, Lucas has a reputation for being an ass to girls also."

"Of course I do! Do you think I want to have him on my mind twenty-four-seven? Do you think I want to have to want the one thing I can't have?"

"Knowing you? Yes, yes I do," Rachel teased in an attempt to lighten the mood.

Brooke let out a small laugh before becoming serious again. "What do I do? Even if I gave him a chance… even if we were to keep seeing each other secretly… I wouldn't ever be able to kiss him in public. I would never be able to bring him home with me. I would never be able to say, 'I'm going to Lucas's.' I would have to lie about it. About everything. And Nathan's my brother and I shouldn't have to lie about that to him. It's just too complicated."

Brooke sighed. It _was_ too complicated. Even though her and Lucas's kiss had felt so _right_, everything else about them was wrong. He was the wrong guy for her to be attracted to. She heard the whisperings in the hall… Lucas Scott was a heartbreaker. And he was hated by Nathan. Bottom line, there was never going to be anything more with Lucas beyond what had happened in the past days. There was no future for them.

"Maybe you should try talking to Nathan…" Rachel suggested.

Brooke huffed. "You must be kidding! Have you _met_ Nathan Davis? I'd rather keep my brother and not have anything to do with Lucas, thank you very much."

--x--x--x--x--

Lucas stood in the center of the basketball court, ball in his hand. His blue jersey clung to his sweaty skin at this point, but he didn't notice. All he could see was Brooke's slender body making her way across the edge of the gym, leaving cheer practice early. She had whispered something to her captain quickly before grabbing her things and rushing toward the door. He was frozen in his place on the court now, his eyes following her. His heart ached as she walked through the metal doors to the hallway.

_Why did she go through the school? There are doors that lead straight to the parking lot,_ he thought to himself.

He could hear the faint sound of screams from his coach and team mates telling him to take a shot or pass the ball.

"Shoot!" Jake Gigelsky yelled from across the court. "Shoot it, Scott!"

Lucas shook himself out of his trance. The sounds of teenage boys yelling at him was now completely audible as he looked up at the hoop and watched the ball effortlessly leave his hands and slide through the basket smoothly.

"Okay boys!" Whitey shouted from the sidelines. "Hit the showers!"

The team all jogged to the showers, Lucas pushing his way in front of everyone. A shower could wait. He wanted to know where Brooke had gone to in such a rush. He unloaded his locker and pushed his way through to the hallway.

"Scott, I hope you're not racing to see a girl, dog, because smelling like that, she's gonna be runnin' the otha direction!" Lucas's friend, Skillz, shouted as Lucas ran past him. The team laughed, waving their hands in front of their noses dramatically. Lucas turned around as he pushed through the door, giving his teammates the middle-finger with a small smile.

He made his way into the hallway. Something in his gut told him Brooke was still in the building, but where could she be?

As he walked from the empty math wing toward the English wing, he saw one classroom that still had its lights on. As he got closer, he realized what room it was: Mr. Chavez's.

--x--x--x--x--

Brooke was half-naked within moments of stepping into the desolate classroom. Soft kisses had now turned into a full-blown make out session.

"Brooke," Nick groaned as Brooke unbuttoned his shirt. His tie was now strung loosely around his neck as she worked her way down from his shirt to his belt. Nick moved his hands to each breast, squeezing them simultaneously.

That's when she broke down.

Something inside her snapped, and suddenly, the entire situation was claustrophobic and tears were threatening to stream down her face. She pulled back from Nick and looked at him. He looked at her in shock. Her face looked like she was completely lost and didn't know what to do.

"Brooke baby, what's wrong?" he said as he dove into kiss her again. She turned her head away, becoming more angry and upset with each passing second. Nick tried to run his hand up her thigh, but she swatted it away, feeling nauseous from his hands touching her.

"Get your hands off me!" she said, pushing him backwards. She pulled her clothing on quickly.

"Oh c'mon, Miss Davis," he huffed, enraged by her sudden coldness. "You _know_ you want me."

Brooke looked at him in disgust as she headed toward the door.

"You're a slut!" Nick called out, causing tears to begin flowing down her face as she walked into the hallway. "You're just another whore!" he yelled.

Suddenly, Brooke Davis didn't have words to retaliate. Maybe she was a whore. She quickly wiped the tears off her face, slamming the door behind her. What had gotten into her? She normally loved having meaningless sex with hot guys, even if the hot guy happened to be her teacher. She walked a few feet down the hallway, trying to contain her sobs. They had now turned into loud hiccups, but she refused to let the tears flow any further than they had.

She sat against the wall, suddenly too tired to walk. She closed her eyes tightly, burying her face in her hands, trying to make everything go away. However, the only solace she could find behind her eyes was the image of Lucas's blue eyes staring back at her.

_Why are you doing this to me?_ she thought to herself. _Why can't I get rid of you?_

And almost as if reading her mind, she felt a body slide next to her. She tensed up at the sudden touch, but almost immediately found herself relaxed again. It could only be one of three people, and at this point, no one could make her feel any worse. She opened her eyes knowing that it was him.

"Hi," he said softly with a sad smile as she looked up at him.

"Hi," she squeaked, her eyes bloodshot from the tears she had dispelled moments before.

"Do you wanna tell me what happened?" he asked cautiously. He knew that she probably didn't want to see him, but it was worth a shot. She was clearly hurting over something, and maybe this could be his way of proving what he was truly worth.

She sighed. "Can I come over?" she asked in a voice that was barely audible. She was looking directly into his eyes now, and he couldn't help but notice that the coldness he had seen in them the past few days was suddenly gone. Instead, they were now pleading him to take her away from this school. "Or maybe we can go to the Rivercourt if you want," she suggested. "I really just need to get away from everything for a little."

"We can go to my house," he said as he stood up. He wiped his jeans off while she turned away to pick up her things. When she turned to face him again, his hand was outstretched, waiting for her to take it. She looked down into his large palm. Reluctantly, she placed her hand in it, allowing him to lift her off the cold, tile floor.

As they walked besides each other in comfortable silence down the long hallway, Brooke couldn't help but notice how everything else she had been thinking about was suddenly replaced.

All that was left was Lucas's warmth and silence.


	8. Fight Me For It

Nathan and Rachel met in the parking lot

Nathan and Rachel met in the parking lot after both cheer and basketball practice came to an end.

"Hi," she said, sidling up to him and leaving a lingering kiss on his lips.

"Mmm…" he breathed. "Hi back at ya."

She smiled up at him and kissed him again.

Once she pulled back, he spoke again. "Have you seen Brooke?" he asked as they walked toward his car.

"No…" she asked, trying to sound as convincing as she could. Truth was, she didn't know where Brooke had gone, but something in her gut told her it was somewhere she didn't want Nathan to know about. Obviously she didn't want Nathan to know, or she would've told him.

"That's weird. You saw her leave in a hurry, too, right? And she was leaving early from cheer practice no less," he observed aloud. "If there's one thing Brooke conforms for, it's cheer practice."

"Yeah, but maybe she just has to work on that English project that she's been doing?" Rachel ventured, trying to create an alibi for Brooke. "But if she's gone, you know what that means, right?" she raised her eyebrows and eyed him seductively, wrapping her arms around his neck as they neared his car.

"And what's that?" he asked in an attempt to play dumb.

"Do you want it the easy way or the hard way?" she asked as she ran her hands down his chest.

"Easy," he whispered.

"We can have sex in your house without Brooke around to walk in on us…" Her hands continued down his chest, finding their way to the waistband of his sweatpants. She dug her fingers inside delicately, running them over his flesh delicately.

"Okay," he said hurriedly, pulling her hand toward the car. "Let's get home."

--

Brooke walked into Lucas's room to find it slightly more disheveled than it had been a few days prior.

"Sorry," he said, grabbing a sweatshirt off the floor and throwing it into his laundry bin. "I haven't been getting much sleep."

She nodded and murmured, "me neither," before sitting on the edge of the bed. She crossed her legs and sat up straight looking more proper than usual. Suddenly, she felt very exposed. It wasn't because she was still in her revealing cheer uniform either. She rubbed at her eyes gingerly, trying to rid them of the cried out and worn look they were currently sporting.

Lucas contemplated sitting down next to her, but something about her seemed so fragile that it scared him to get to close in fear that she could completely break before his eyes again.

And he didn't think he could handle seeing that twice in the past hour.

So instead, he grabbed his computer chair and wheeled it so he was sitting across from her, on an angle.

"So," she breathed. She wasn't sure where to begin. She truly couldn't remember the last time she had felt like this. Maybe it had been when her parents forgot to pick her up on her first day of elementary school. Or maybe it had been when she found out Christina Lockhart spread the vicious rumor in 8th grade that she had herpes and that any boy who hooked up with her should be tested immediately.

"So," he responded, trying to stay confident in the situation. "Do you wanna tell me what happened, or do you wanna talk about something else?"

He hoped she would tell him the truth, but part of him knew she was too guarded to. She shook her head at him, just as he had expected her too.

"You should try letting it out," he pressed.

"I don't want to, Lucas," she said forcefully. "If I put how I feel right now to the back of my mind, eventually, it'll disappear. That's how it works."

He sighed, not willing to argue with her in fear that he would drive her away.

"Brooke, I wanna help you. I _need_ to help you," he said, his eyes pleading her to let him in. But she wouldn't let her perfectly crafted walls fall down for a pair of nice eyes. Brooke Davis had worked way too long on building those walls to let _anyone_ destroy them without a fight.

She looked at him for a moment trying to judge his true intentions. Lucas stared back at her.

"You wanna help me?" she asked. He nodded hopefully in response. "I'll tell you what I _really_ wanna do right now, and you can come along without complaining, deal?"

He looked at her skeptically. "Deal," he agreed boldly. _How bad could this be?_

"I wanna get wasted. Like, shit-faced-dance-on-tables-have-meaningless-sex wasted. And I kinda wanna corrupt you."

She smirked at him, and as if by magic, the broken little girl Lucas had seen moments before was gone, replaced by the confident, sexy girl he had met only a few nights before… only this time, she was clad in a cheer uniform.

"Fine," he sighed with a small smile. If Brooke Davis wanted to play her games, Lucas was going to play along. "You wanna go in that?" he asked curiously, eyeing her up and down quickly. Although she looked like she just stepped out of some porn-fantasy teacher-cheerleader scenario (oh, the irony), she definitely was not dressed to go out to a bar.

"I'll pick up clothing at Rachel's and we'll go," she shrugged, already beginning to stand up.

Next thing they knew, they were outside of Rachel's door on the other side of town.

"So, what now?" Lucas asked, amused. Brooke clearly didn't have a key and Rachel was clearly not home.

She looked at him and narrowed her eyes. "You have no faith in me. Do you have a credit card?"

"Yeah," he stated in confusion. "But it's only for emergencies."

"Give it to me," she stated happily holding her hand out, waiting impatiently.

He fished out his wallet from his jeans, grabbing the blue American Express from it's pocket. "This better be an emergency," he stated with a smirk before handing Brooke the card. She rolled her eyes as she began working with the door.

She pushed the card between the door and it's frame, pushing the card back and forth between the wedge. Each door was different and each responded to a credit card differently.

A few jolts to the left, and one to the right, the door clicked and Brooke pushed it opened, stepping into the large vestibule.

Lucas stood in the doorway, puzzled. "How… How the hell did you learn to do that?"

"Let's just say that some of the adventures I've taken have required keys that don't belong to me," she winked before heading up the winding stairs.

"I'll wait down here," Lucas said, shifting uncomfortably on his feet.

Brooke turned around, halfway up the stairs. "Don't think you're getting away that easily, buddy. Get that toned butt up here."

Lucas ran his hands through his hair and followed the brunette's swaying hips up the stairs, infatuated with each movement that she made. He watched the way her legs pumped up the stairs, the way her hair moved down her back each step.

They walked into Rachel's lilac colored room. Brooke immediately stripped down into her bra and underwear, despite the fact that Lucas was standing in the room.

"I… I can leave if you want," he suggested. "You need privacy."

She turned over her shoulder from the closet to look at him. "Lucas Scott, we both know you've seen plenty of girls in lingerie. I don't see why this is different."

She didn't wait for his response before turning back to the closet.

"I need an outfit that screams, 'Hi, I'm Brooke Davis and I want to have meaningless sex with you,'" she mused aloud as she pulled through Rachel's tops.

Lucas sank down onto the plush bed, watching her throw clothing to the floor and hold up the pieces she was considering to her body before tossing them back down.

"You don't have to dress like that to get attention, Brooke," he stated.

"Pssh. Even _I _know that, Lucas. I could get attention in a chicken costume," she chuckled. "But I have a goal to achieve in the shortest amount of time possible."

She slipped a black halter top over her head. She walked over to where Lucas stood, still clad in only underwear and the top. "Tie this for me?" She held up the two strings that went around her neck as he stood up.

"What's the goal?" he asked as he tied the strings neatly.

"To find a hot guy as soon as possible… Then, I'm gonna let him get me drunk by buying me expensive drinks, let him tell me I'm beautiful a couple of hundred times and then, he's gonna fuck me senseless so that I can go home and feel slightly better about myself," she said with sarcastic cheer in her voice.

"Why?" he asked plainly.

She stepped into a pair of dark, skinny jeans. "Because, that's what I do."

"So you've never had a boyfriend?"

"Never had a boyfriend?" she said, looking at him, her pants still undone, in complete shock. "I am the queen of boyfriends. I just let them loose before it can get too deep."

"I don't mean a boyfriend that you see, screw and smile with for a few weeks. I mean a _boyfriend_. Someone you have _real_ feelings for."

"I guess I don't do boyfriends then." She buttoned the pants, adjusting them on her waist in the mirror. They hugged her curves perfectly and the halter top revealed just enough of her toned stomach to drive Lucas nuts.

--x--x--x--x--x--

When they arrived at Blue Post, the same bar that they had met at, Brooke already had a buzz. She had insisted on taking a few sips of the vodka that lingered in the liquor cabinet in Rachel's house, and although Lucas had protested, refusing to join in as well, she had just shrugged him off, gave him the finger, and downed two shots before heading for the door.

The pair walked in, and immediately, Brooke spotted a guy. He seemed good looking enough from the side, so she immediately slinked by his side. Lucas watched as Brooke put her plan in motion, stunned.

"Hi," she rasped with a slight slur as she sat on the barstool parallel to the man.

He turned to face her, ready to brush the young girl next to him off with some snide remark. He was met with the Brookes hazel eyes and dimples, and suddenly, his perspective changed. "Hey," he said with a smiling playing on his lips. "I'm Kevin."

"And I'm thirsty," she purred, nodding her head toward the bartender

Lucas watched helplessly as the guy bought her two shots, followed by another two, and a martini. He contemplated going over to where the pair sat and punching the guy out in order to keep Brooke away from him, but he stopped himself. Instead, he slinked into a back booth, far enough to stay out of Brooke's way, close enough to keep his eye on the pair, jealousy coursing through his veins.

--x--x--x--x--x--

It had been a half an hour and four beers for Lucas before Brooke and the fling she found for the night headed to the makeshift dance floor. It took a moment for Lucas to realize, but Brooke was leading the guy along the edge of the floor, stumbling every few steps. The guy leaned over and whispered something into Brooke's ear, something she found absolutely hilarious as she threw her head back in laughter.

Lucas took another gulp of the almost-finished beer in front of him.

They reached the center of the dance floor, pushing their way through the few other couples and groups that still lingered on its fringes. Brooke spun around, nearly falling, so that her back was to the man behind her. He snaked his arm around her waist, pulling her backside close to him.

She grinded with him, closing her eyes and letting the music sink into her, Kevin's hands running up her thighs, pulling her closer with each beat of the song.

Lucas ordered another beer, not once taking his eyes of the pair. Something inside him told him to walk over and get the guy's hands off her, but the other part of him knew it wasn't his place.

The song ended, and Brooke turned to face the guy. She smiled before collapsing into him, her arms wrapping around his neck and she leaned into him lifelessly. The guy smirked, devilishly, and something in Lucas's gut twisted. He began to stand up as the guy began dragging Brooke toward the door.

Before he knew it, Lucas was almost running across the bar, coming face to face with the man supporting Brooke.

"Get your hands off her," he growled as he began reaching to unlatch Brooke's arms from his neck.

"Excuse me, buddy?" the guy said, pulling Brooke from Lucas's grip. "She wants to leave with me. Who the fuck are you to stop me?"

"I'm her friend," Lucas breathed angrily. Before anyone around him could process the bubbling fight, Lucas's fist contacted with the side of the guys face, sending him backwards as Brooke nearly fell onto the floor, Lucas's arms catching her just before her legs completely collapsed underneath her.

The guy looked up at Lucas, clutching the side of his face, a stunned expression across his face. "You want her that bad? You can have her… she's just a high school slut, anyway…" he said, crawling backward and getting onto his feet. Lucas ignored the guy's comment, not wanting to punch him again. He wrapped Brooke's arms around his neck, and she mumbled something, but she was too slurred to understand.

He pushed through the crowd that had formed toward the door, wanting to get out of there as soon as possible. The fact that he had a few drinks of his own didn't really matter at this point.

He reached his car, opening the back door and placing Brooke across the seat as gingerly as possible. Once she was tucked in as safely as he could, he headed toward the driver's door. However, he had only begun to open the door when he stopped.

"Scott," a voice growled from a few feet over. "What the fuck do you think you're doing with my sister?"

As Lucas began to turn around, trying to figure out if this was a bad dream or not, a fist collided with his face, and he was left, on the black pavement, the taste of warm metal flowing into his mouth.


	9. Tangled

He could hear a girl gasp in the background, but it was faint

He could hear a girl gasp in the background, but it was faint. The only sound fully audible was the ringing in his ears. He could hear someone taking foot steps toward him, and he cringed, knowing what was coming next.

Nathan pulled his foot back, ready to kick Lucas in the stomach in order to make sure he stayed down on the floor, before Rachel screamed, "wait!" frantically.

He turned to face her, his face twisted in anger. "Rachel, what could possibly be more important than this right now?" he growled, his voice low.

"Don't hurt him anymore, Nathan," she said as she ran over to Lucas and squatted down next to him. There were a few splotches of blood on the concrete near his mouth, but no major damage done from what she could tell. He opened his eyes, the voices finally becoming more comprehensible. Lucas sat up, and reached to wipe the stray blood from his lip, spitting quickly to rid the metallic taste from his mouth. He stood up to face Nathan, Rachel following his lead.

Rachel stepped in front of Lucas, into Nathan's face. "You can't hurt him," she said, folding her arms over her chest boldly.

"Rachel…" Lucas protested, putting his hand on the redhead's shoulder to pull her backward. This was his battle to fight. If it meant being physical, he would do it. As long as Brooke ended up safely at home and not in some stranger's bed, he would do anything.

"No, Lucas. He can't do this now. Not at Brooke's expense. Have your little playground fights and rivalries when other people aren't involved."

Nathan stood, clueless. His eyes darted between his girlfriend and his enemy, and then to Brooke, who was fast asleep in the back of Lucas's car.

"Rachel," Lucas warned again, pulling her backwards. "Let me just explain, okay?"

She looked over at Nathan, shooting him a venomous glare. "You better listen to what he has to say Nathan Scott or I can promise you, you will be a _very_ unhappy boy when Brooke is sober."

Nathan took a threatening step toward Lucas, heeding Rachel's warning. "You have thirty seconds to explain why my sister is passed out in your backseat, why you have my sister in a bar, and why you were even together in the first place."

Lucas took a breath, hoping that the lie he had conjured quickly was completely believable. "I came to get a drink. Brooke was here, and getting wasted. I ignored her the entire night, until she started dancing with some pervy guy who couldn't keep his hands off her. I kept my mouth shut and just kept an eye on her, knowing who she was strictly because we have English together… but then the guy got her so wasted that she was practically passed out on his shoulder. He tried to make her leave with him, so I raced after them before they made it outside, and I punched him after he wouldn't let go of her. I was gonna take her back to my house until she sobered up, explain to her what happened and then take her home, but you knocked me out before I even had the chance."

The sentences came out calmly for someone whose mouth was still bleeding slightly, his cheek burning where Nathan had punched him. Nathan looked at Rachel, as if to verify if this was the truth. She nodded, knowing all to well that the story was a lie, but it was a good cover. This was typical Brooke behavior, even Nathan knew that, so his lie could've easily been something that had happened in the past, or that was bound to happen in the future.

Nathan's face was still quizzical. "So, you're trying to tell me you were protecting _my_ baby sister?"

"We may hate each other, but Brooke's not part of that. She's not you," he shrugged as if it was so obvious. "And I would never let someone I'm acquainted with get hurt when I could prevent it."

"Real noble, Scott. Real fucking noble," Nathan stated, stepping closer to Lucas once again to intimidate him. "I'll believe you this time, just because Brooke isn't the most innocent girl in the bunch. But let's get something clear: if you _ever_ fucking touch my sister again, I will _cripple_ you from basketball _and_ your little hero complex. Is that clear?"

Lucas just looked at Nathan with narrowed eyes. "Rachel, keep your best friend and your boyfriend on a leash," he stated calmly, still staring at the green eyed boy. The stare down continued for a few more seconds before Lucas unlocked his car, scooped a mumbling Brooke out of the backseat, and passed her over to Nathan. Without another word, receiving nothing more than an apologetic gaze from Rachel and no thank-you's, he stepped into the driver seat of his car, zooming through the parking lot and onto the main road, leaving the three in his dust.

-x-x-x-x-x-

The next morning, Brooke woke up to the sound of Nathan's voice mumbling how irresponsible she was as he shut off her alarm clock. He pulled her shades open, rays of golden light tumbling in around her.

She pulled her pillow over her head, her eyes still closed. "Turn off the light!" she whined.

"You can't turn off the fucking sun, Brooke."

Uh-oh. He was mad.

Her headache was blearing and she had no desire to talk to her virtuous older brother. "Can we talk about this later? Or how about never?" she mumbled from beneath the pillow.

Nathan sat on the edge of her bed, sending a wave of motion that made Brooke nauseous enough to puke the contents of her stomach. "Do you know how you got home last night?"

"Yes," she lied.

"Well, then you can explain why you would ever get drunk enough so that _Lucas Scott_ had to save you."

The memory flashed before her eyes quickly. Her and Nick. Her crying. Lucas's car. The bar. Kyle… or was it Kevin? That's where it went black.

"I don't remember," she admitted. "I was drunk. I had a bad day."

"That can't always be your excuse, Brooke."

She sat up in her bed. "Well, today it is. And it's also my excuse for why I can't go to school."

Nathan opened is mouth to argue, but she raised her hand in protest. "No. You can't keep doing this. I'm not the perfect sister like you and Dad want me to be. I'm never gonna be that girl, so you have to stop holding me up to those standards."

Nathan shut his mouth, his face stoic, before leaving the room without another word.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

It was already one in the afternoon and Brooke was still in bed. Her head was still hurting and she had puked numerous times since her conversation with Nathan. She wasn't sure if it was from her hangover, from the incident with Nick yesterday or because she couldn't seem to fathom what Lucas had told Nathan that kept the whole situation very hushed or why he had protected her in the first place.

She popped two more Advils, tilting her head backwards as she took a gulp of water, when the door bell rang. She groaned, stepping out of bed and making her way down the stairs. Who could possibly be coming over at this time with both her parents out of town was unknown to her.

She opened the red door to reveal Lucas clad in an old, worn pair of gray sweatpants and a white t-shirt. He looked like shit, sporting a raw cut in the middle of his lip. She cringed looking at him, knowing where the cut had come from. She reached up to his cheek, cupping it in her hand instinctively, the soft stubble of his skin running across her soft palm.

"I'm sorry," she choked out more emotionally than she preferred. "I'm so sorry he did this to you."

He smiled slowly at her. "You're okay," he said, relief spreading across his face. "I got nervous that since you weren't in English. I figured Nathan may have killed you or something."

She laughed softly. "Come in."

He nodded, following Brooke into the sunroom deep in the house. The room was all glass, from ceiling to walls, and the warm, fall sun poured in from all directions. They each took a seat in one of the four plush chairs that were set up in a small square. Under the harsh light, the cut across Lucas's lip was more vibrant, a small bruise on his cheek bone becoming more apparent in the bright light.

"What'd you tell him?" Brooke asked once they were settled. "I mean, he would've killed me if he knew the full truth, so when he didn't, I knew you covered for me."

He sighed. "I told him I was in the bar when you came in and started drinking. I told him I kept my distance until I saw that scumbag try to take you home with him despite the fact that you were incoherent at that point."

"This must've been after he punched you."

"Mhm," he mumbled, running his hand over the cut again. It burned slightly under his touch.

"You look like hell," she stated, motioning to his disheveled hair and outfit. "I'm sorry, Lucas."

"You look beautiful," he stated seriously. Her hair was sloppy from lying in bed for countless hours, and she was clad in only a white camisole and sweatpants herself, but despite it all, Lucas definitely didn't mind staring at her. "Was it worth it?"

"Was what worth it? I didn't get laid, and I have a bitch of a hangover."

"Was the hangover, the drinking, the fight with Nathan, worth keeping everything inside, getting wasted and almost screwing some asshole?"

"You know, you have the good looking thing going for you, you don't really need the perceptiveness too," she sighed.

"You know, you have the beautiful, mysterious girl thing going for you, you don't really need to keep hiding behind booze and boys," he stated with a shrug.

"I can't tell you what happened. I just can't," she stated. He sighed before she continued. "But… you can help me. This time, I promise I'll be sober and you won't get punched, how about that?"

"I'm not taking you anywhere. No way, no how."

"Please Lucas," she pouted. "I need some air."

"So we can sit in the backyard."

"C'mon Luke!" she whined. "I wanna go somewhere. You'll like it. Actually, by the time I'm through with you, you'll love it, I swear! But first we have to get you cleaned up."

She stepped over to him before he could respond and grabbed his hand, leading him into the bathroom. She got out antibacterial wash designed to clean cuts from the mirrored medicine cabinet and poured it onto a cotton ball.

"It's gonna sting," she warned as she hovered the soggy cotton ball above his lip. He nodded, and she pushed the ball down, pressing it into the cut. He cringed slightly feeling his eyes tear at the searing pain, but he just smiled at her when she pulled away.

His back was pressed against the sink, the edges digging into the small of his back. The bathroom was considerably small, and Brooke had to lean over him to place the cotton balls and antibacterial wash back into the cabinet. Her leg brushed against his sending a chill up his spine. When she pulled back, he was looking at her in a more serious way than she had ever seen.

She laughed nervously. "What are you looking at, Broody?"

He shrugged, and looked down at his own hands nervously. He had kissed and wooed his fair share of Tree Hill juniors and even some seniors, some sophomores too, but something about Brooke scared him. She was outgoing and confident and guarded, and he wasn't used to that. The girls he had gotten with were all open to anything that he had to say. He could've probably convinced half of them to jump of a bridge if he gave them one of his signature winks after.

Brooke put a finger underneath his chin, lifting his eyes so that they were locked with hers. She searched them. She wasn't sure what she was looking for: truth, lust, trust, or maybe sympathy even. But she couldn't read him.

She pulled her fingers back quickly as if the touch had sent a violent electric current through her. He smiled at her crookedly, as if an epiphany was washing over him. He placed his hand on the side of her face and she let herself fall into it, closing her eyes momentarily and taking in his touch.

"Brooke," he whispered, bringing his lips to her ear. "When are you gonna admit you want me?"


End file.
